John Green

http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/inside-scoop/john-green-nerdfighter-fighter-free-speech

I love John Green. I love his books, but I also love his ideas (and his hair). He is all about being who you are and being comfortable in your skin. He also is someone who uses social networking to his advantage (also very important for libraries!). His views on challenging/banning books are also spot on.

P.S. Check out his books! (Shelved in the young adult section.)

Article for the "Quiet Librarians"

If any of you has ever been typecasted as the socially awkward, quiet, geeky, glasses-and-cardigan wearing librarian...constantly shhing people...then this article is for you!

http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/inside-scoop/value-quiet-loudmouth-world

Librarian Atlas

http://www.newlibrarianship.org/wordpress/?page_id=2

Go. Visit this website. Anyone who is interested in getting into the field of Library Science especially should be interested in this and for those who are already there: the field is changing (as we should be aware of) and this guide is perfect for Librarians (and future Librarians!) in this changing information society. (The map http://www.newlibrarianship.org/wordpress/?page_id=16 is a very interesting look at reference librarianship.

"The vision for a new librarianship must go beyond finding library-related uses for information technology and the Internet; it must provide a durable foundation for the field. Lankes recasts librarianship and library practice using the fundamental concept that knowledge is created though conversation. New librarians approach their work as facilitators of conversation; they seek to enrich, capture, store, and disseminate the conversations of their communities."

A Letter from the ALA President

Dear Colleagues,

I hope that by now you have heard about AASL President Carl Harvey’s White House Petition on School Libraries. 25,000 signatures are needed by February 4, 2012, in order for this petition to reach the desk of the President. We are more than halfway there, but time is running out! In addition to signing the petition, please take these steps to ensure that this petition is a success:

1. Spread the word and see that at least ten of your friends or family members also sign;
2. Work with local educational groups, including the local PTA or PTO, and ask them to mount a signing campaign;
3. Work with other community groups and ask them to get involved.

School libraries are everyone’s issue. Cuts in staffing or elimination of school library programs in a specific community affect all libraries in that community, whether it’s the public library now tasked with serving a school curriculum, or higher education librarians teaching remedial information literacy skills. In order for any of us to succeed, we must be willing to work on these issues together to support our broader library eco-system. Please get involved and help create awareness about the need to ensure that every student has access to an effective school library program.

Please note that the petition is a two-step process. You have to create an account, and then return to the web page to sign. We’ve heard reports that it’s also temperamental: if you have trouble signing, please try working in a different browser, or try in off-peak hours. It might not be easy but please be persistent! Our school library programs, and the children we serve, are so worth it.

Let’s show the world that we can mobilize people to speak out for libraries. Anyone 13 or older can sign the petition. Help us make this an issue that commands attention. Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Sincerely,
Molly Raphael
2011 - 2012 ALA President

Shelfari account

Coming soon...my personal shelfari account! I've used shelfari to keep track of young adult books I've read for the library the past year or more. It's time that I start keeping track of what I'm reading for myself too. And any interested readers!

http://www.shelfari.com/libgeek

P.S. Check out my shelf to the right! Click on it for more. :)

Missouri Library

Public libraries sometimes make mistakes...this one inserted their own feelings into how they censored Internet. My favorite line?

“'Rather than dismissing the concerns of its patrons, the library should make every effort to ensure that its filtering software doesn’t illegally deny access to educational resources on discriminatory grounds,' said Anthony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri. 'The library is the last place that should be censoring information about different cultures.'”

http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/censorship-watch/missouri-library-sued-barring-wiccan-websites