Way to go Pat & staff!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Charlotte Mayor Wins Library Straw Vote at Emotional Council Meeting
Link to June 7 Charlotte Observer article, "Susan Burgess bids emotional City Council farewell".
Excerpt: Burgess, visibly weak with terminal cancer, cast her final votes for the city’s $1.65 billion budget – and to give the county’s cash-strapped libraries $1.4 million.
She also urged the council to appoint her son Jason as her replacement. The council is scheduled to fill the seat on Monday.
The library straw vote represented a victory for Mayor Anthony Foxx, who set out four conditions for the grant that include contributions from other Mecklenburg towns. The measure passed with six votes in favor. Burgess, a one-time opponent, joined supporters.
Charlotte’s Mayor Pro Tem, Burgess, 64, has been under hospice care. A post last Friday on the CaringBridge.org Web site said she was confined to bed with no appetite and little energy. Until she actually appeared Monday, even friends weren’t sure she could.
Riding in a wheelchair, she entered the packed government center conference room to a prolonged standing ovation from more than 150 city officials and employees. Many of her friends wore vintage Burgess campaign T-shirts.
Related articles:
Editorial: Should city 'stay in its lane' on libraries. (6/4/2010)
County commissioners restore some cuts to libraries. (6/4/2010)
Straw votes begin on Mecklinburg County budget. (6/3/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries continue to look for one-time financial help. (5/31/2010)
High school junior speaks out eloquently for libraries. (5/30/2010)
Mayor Foxx on the art of governing. (5/30/2010)
Mayor supports financial help for library. (5/27/2010)
County budget: Oh, yeah, this is fair. (5/25/2010)
Bailout proposal not gaining traction. (5/23/2010)
Library trustees vote to close 4 branches. (5/20/2010)
Mecklenburg County tightens its belt. (5/20/2010)
County manager cuts $14.7 million from library budget. (5/18/2010)
2010-11 Mecklenburg County budget to be unveiled today. (5/18/2010)
North Carolina woman plans on "going straight to the top" to keep Charlotte libraries open. (5/16/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg officials ask local municipalities for $3 million contribution. (4/30/2010)
Library Board chair speaks out. (4/25/2010)
County commissioners seek ways to ease library cuts. (4/23/2010)
Mecklenburg County needs to reduce $85-90 million deficit. (4/16/2010)
County manager takes library board to task. (4/10/2010)
Libraries now open fewer hours. (4/6/2010)
"Save Our Libraries Sunday". (3/29/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg users owe average of 55 cents in fines. (3/27/2010)
Library announces new hours for branches. (3/26/2010)
Library Board applies a Band-Aid to its bleeding system. (3/25/2010)
Follow-up on Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board vote. (3/25/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board votes to keep all branches open. (3/24/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board presented with 2 budget-cutting alternatives. (3/24/2010)
More and bigger cuts looming on horizon. (3/23/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System Rethinks Closings. (3/22/2010)
A New Day is Dawning in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. (3/21/2010)
Library project gets aid from City of Viroqua
Link to Vernon County Broadcaster article.
Excerpt: The Viroqua City Council directed city administrator Matt Giese to assist the McIntosh Memorial Library Board as needed to provide the Viroqua community with a new library.
The resolution also authorized the library board to continue its investigations in pursuit of a new library building.
"We’ve put a lot of time and effort into this project," library director Trina Erickson said. "I don’t think we’ve rushed anything to date."
Related articles:
New library cost estimate: $5.7 million. (5/20/2010)
Library building project update. (3/15/2010)
Viroqua's McIntosh Memorial Library Space Needs Study Update. (1/16/2010)
Viroqua's McIntosh Memorial Library Space Needs Task Force. (12/28/2009)
Town Chairman's Proposal to Change Library Funding Formula Gets Cool Reaction
Pauline Haass Public Library (Sussex, Wisconsin)
Excerpt: Town Chairman Matt Gehrke's proposal to change the funding formula for the Pauline Haas Library is getting mixed reviews from some of his fellow Town Board members and is not being embraced by one key Sussex village official.
Meanwhile, Library Director Kathy Klager urged the elected officials to focus first on amending the agreement that created the joint community library and deal with funding formula issues later.
Klager said planning for the future of the library will become "problematic" unless there is a change to a clause in the agreement that enables either community, after 2014 when building bonds are retired, to terminate the agreement with 90 days notice.
"Because of that clause, we cannot plan on even technical and mundane things like buying a new boiler," Klager said, pointing out that there are no assurances the library can survive from one year to the next because of the termination clause.
Related article:
Town of Lisbon Chairman proposes new funding formula for library. (5/31/2010)
XM Brand Scam: C'mon People, a Quick Google Search Should Nip This Nonsense in the Bud
Excerpt: One of the internet’s more notorious complaint targets, XM Brands, was cited by the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau on Thursday as an up-and-coming “F-rated” online store, meaning complaints are piling up.
XM Brands, of Florida, an online seller of anti-aging creams, teeth whiteners, colon cleansers, cellulite smoothers and other image-reparation systems, picked up a dozen complaints from Wisconsin consumers in just the past month, said Susan Bach, of the BBB. Nationwide, the company has gathered 623 complaints just to the BBB.
Double Down Resistance -- Some Just Aren't Interested
Fill-in-the-blank journalism.
Link to June 7 Racine Journal-Times article, "Facebook resistance - some just aren't interested".
Excerpt: There may be more than 400 million current active Facebook users, as the world’s largest social network says, but not everybody is a fan.
On Sunday, May 30, The Journal Times story, “Feedback on Facebook,” focused on people who use it.
Today’s story introduces us to those resisting the Facebook mania:
On deck: Twitter.
In the hole: Flickr.
Excerpt: There may be more than 400 million current active Facebook users, as the world’s largest social network says, but not everybody is a fan.
On Sunday, May 30, The Journal Times story, “Feedback on Facebook,” focused on people who use it.
Today’s story introduces us to those resisting the Facebook mania:
On deck: Twitter.
In the hole: Flickr.
Juxtapose These 2: "Hooked on Gadgets", "Unlimited Data Plans are Challenged"
Excerpt: Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information.
These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats. The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt — that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored.
The resulting distractions can have deadly consequences, as when cellphone-wielding drivers and train engineers cause wrecks. And for millions of people like Mr. Campbell, these urges can inflict nicks and cuts on creativity and deep thought, interrupting work and family life.
While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise.
Link to June 7 New York Times article, "As Unlimited Data Plans Are Challenged, App Developers Worry".
Excerpt: “What created this lively app world we are in was the iPhone on one hand, and unlimited data plans on the other,” said Noam Bardin, chief executive of Waze, which offers turn-by-turn driving directions. “If people start thinking about how big a file is, or how fast an application is refreshing, that will be a huge inhibitor.”
New features on phones encourage more data use and vice versa. The next version of the iPhone, set to debut on Monday at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, will include a second, front-facing video camera, according to leaked reports. That could conceivably allow developers like Skype to offer face-to-face video calls from phones — a service that is much more data-intensive.
More data use......as in more hooked on gadgets.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
OCLC Report: How Libraries Stack Up, 2010
Facts and figures to share with your elected officials. They need to pay attention to the fact that the majority of their constituents love and value libraries.
Libraries at the Heart of their Communities.
Norwegian Browser Looks to Make Inroads in U.S.
Gotta love the Mercury News for tech articles!
Excerpt: No. 1 in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. It might not be a slogan to attract an avalanche of American Internet users, but the Norwegian company that makes the fastest Web browser you've never heard of sees a major opportunity in the United States and the rest of the world.
Since the Internet went mainstream in the 1990s, accessing the Web has been an either-or decision, if there were any choice at all — Netscape or Microsoft's Internet Explorer? Or more recently — IE or Firefox? But the popularity of the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox and the rapid rise of Google Chrome have broken that logjam. With Internet Explorer on track to abdicate its long-held position as the browser used by a majority of the world's desktop users, browsers are experiencing their most intense cycle of innovation since Microsoft vanquished Netscape in the 1990s, innovation that is giving users a faster and more powerful window to the Web.
Retiring Guy has major issues with Google Chrome's "hang time" and is willing to give Opera a try. Just toe-dipping time right now but already like the layout.
Link to June 6 San Jose Mercury News article, "Little known Norwegian browser challenges the big boys".
Since the Internet went mainstream in the 1990s, accessing the Web has been an either-or decision, if there were any choice at all — Netscape or Microsoft's Internet Explorer? Or more recently — IE or Firefox? But the popularity of the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox and the rapid rise of Google Chrome have broken that logjam. With Internet Explorer on track to abdicate its long-held position as the browser used by a majority of the world's desktop users, browsers are experiencing their most intense cycle of innovation since Microsoft vanquished Netscape in the 1990s, innovation that is giving users a faster and more powerful window to the Web.
Retiring Guy has major issues with Google Chrome's "hang time" and is willing to give Opera a try. Just toe-dipping time right now but already like the layout.
Battle for the Future, Part III: Apple's iPhone v. Google's Android
Excerpt: Windows vs. the Mac OS. Internet Explorer vs. Netscape Navigator. The iPhone vs. Android.
The first two of those battles have defined computing over the past 25 years, shaping how consumers use their PCs and how they surf the Internet. Now many tech observers* are predicting that the third battle will dominate the coming era, determining how consumers use whole classes of new devices from smartphones to tablet computers to Internet-connected televisions.
While many people still cling to their BlackBerrys, and a few to Windows Mobile devices, Google's Android in little more than 20 months has surged to become the strongest rival to Apple's iPhone and its companion iPad, outselling the iPhone in the U.S. for the first time in the first quarter this year.
*Unnamed, of course, but maybe some of them are found here.
Marin County's $49 Annual Library Parcel Tax Needs Two-Thirds Majority to Pass
Link to June 6 San Jose Mercury News article.
Excerpt: Funding problems brought on by flagging revenue in the poor economy have cut across three library systems in Marin, affecting patrons in San Rafael, San Anselmo and the 10-branch county library system so severely that backers are asking voters to consider a $49 annual parcel tax Tuesday aimed at shoring up library services.
"Most of us want to live in a city with tree-lined streets, parks, a library, good public schools," said Carol Manashil, co-chairwoman of Open Doors, Open Minds: San Rafael Library Services Committee in Support of Measure C. "In this case we have to pay for it. It isn't a lot, but we have to pay for it."
All the taxes - which hold a five-year term in San Anselmo and at the county, and seven years in San Rafael - require a two-thirds majority to pass. No organized opposition has emerged against the three tax measures.
In San Rafael, the library has been forced to cut consistently for years. It has lost its children's librarian and other personnel, used its reserves to maintain the existing schedule and faces further reductions if money does not immediately become available.
San Anselmo, called the poorest public library in Marin, lost one-third of its budget in 2006. Gone is the children's librarian, and many children's services and programs have been eliminated. The budget for new books, movies and computers is greatly reduced, supporters said.
Point of concern? Will bored California Democrats stay home on Election Day?
Robin Neifield on Social Media Clutter
Excerpt: In the bigger-is-better mentality, we lose sight of the fact that the marginal value of more friends might actually be negative. Having more friends creates more noise and more management load and might in some cases actually reduce the value of your network and create a disincentive to participate. Again, everyone's threshold is different. Just as some in the real world run with crowds of dozens, hundreds, or more and others cling to a few close buddies, in the online equivalent legitimate differences certain apply. The right network will vary with the nature of the exchange and therein lies the problem. It is not always easy to maintain both close and extended networks simultaneously. When you need expert advice in a niche area or you want feedback and exchange from those with similar tastes or experience, a small subset of your network might be a better fit then your whole network. However, the tools to allow for that flexibility are still crude. One size definitely does not fit all. And it's becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to manage these varying social media needs.
Marketers now also face their own clutter in social media.
Confession: Retiring Guy hides the clutter of game posts on his Facebook account.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
No Surprise Why This Headline Caught Retiring Guy's Eye
Library director claims arrest video clears him.
Link to June 5 Chicago Sun-Times article.
Favorite line: [Lake] County [Indiana] Democratic Chairman Thomas McDermott said he would urge Montalvo to consider the negative publicity his arrest has brought to the party, but said party rules set a high bar to remove an officer.
Yeah, library director and secretary of county Democratic Party.
Link to June 5 Chicago Sun-Times article.
Favorite line: [Lake] County [Indiana] Democratic Chairman Thomas McDermott said he would urge Montalvo to consider the negative publicity his arrest has brought to the party, but said party rules set a high bar to remove an officer.
Yeah, library director and secretary of county Democratic Party.
San Jose Mayor's Budget Proposal Would Keep Branch Libraries Open 5 Days a Week
In the process, the Mayor insures he'll have a big fight on his hands.
Link to San Jose Mercury News, "San Jose mayor asks council to impose pay cuts on workers to save libraries, community centers".
Excerpt: [Mayor Chuck] Reed's proposal was issued late Friday, giving council members little time to review it by press time. The chief of staff for Councilwoman Nora Campos, who has opposed imposing contracts on unions, said she was hopeful an agreement would emerge soon that would make the move unnecessary.
Reed has twice cobbled together a narrow majority to impose cuts on unions: last year with the operating engineers and earlier this year with building inspectors. The operating engineers, who include maintenance workers, park rangers and parking control officers, are among the six on which he is seeking to impose cuts this month.
The terms of what Reed called the city's "last, best and final offer" would cut salaries almost 5 percent and trim benefits to reduce total compensation 10 percent. Benefit changes would include raising employees' share of health insurance premiums from 10 to 15 percent; increasing co-payments for doctor visits from $10 to $25; and reducing "cash-outs" of unused sick leave for retiring workers. The proposal also incorporates the additional pension payments employees had offered.
The imposed cuts would save $9.5 million, the mayor's office said. That money would keep branch libraries open five days a week instead of three and spare six community centers that were expected to close in the fiscal year that begins next month.
Link to San Jose Mercury News, "San Jose mayor asks council to impose pay cuts on workers to save libraries, community centers".
Excerpt: [Mayor Chuck] Reed's proposal was issued late Friday, giving council members little time to review it by press time. The chief of staff for Councilwoman Nora Campos, who has opposed imposing contracts on unions, said she was hopeful an agreement would emerge soon that would make the move unnecessary.
Reed has twice cobbled together a narrow majority to impose cuts on unions: last year with the operating engineers and earlier this year with building inspectors. The operating engineers, who include maintenance workers, park rangers and parking control officers, are among the six on which he is seeking to impose cuts this month.
The terms of what Reed called the city's "last, best and final offer" would cut salaries almost 5 percent and trim benefits to reduce total compensation 10 percent. Benefit changes would include raising employees' share of health insurance premiums from 10 to 15 percent; increasing co-payments for doctor visits from $10 to $25; and reducing "cash-outs" of unused sick leave for retiring workers. The proposal also incorporates the additional pension payments employees had offered.
The imposed cuts would save $9.5 million, the mayor's office said. That money would keep branch libraries open five days a week instead of three and spare six community centers that were expected to close in the fiscal year that begins next month.
Boston Magazine Offers Profile of Amy Ryan, Public Library President
Link to May 22 Boston Magazine article, "The Nice Queen".
Excerpt: As protests go, this one is downright amiable. On an unseasonably warm Sunday in March, 40 people have gathered on the steps of the Boston Public Library’s McKim Building in Copley Square for a read-in — a bookish riff on the sit-in — to demonstrate their displeasure with a plan to close several of the BPL’s neighborhood branches. The crowd ranges in age from infants in strollers to sexagenarians. Some chat among themselves, a few hold Sharpied “Save Our Libraries” signs, but most just sit and read their paperbacks. Their leader, a bespectacled Harvard postdoc named Brandon Abbs, speaks with a trickle of reporters and passersby, including a slim, silver-haired woman wearing black chinos and Asics, a black cardigan tied around her shoulders.
That would be Amy Ryan,the 59-year-old president of the Boston Public Library and, theoretically at least, the authority the crowd has gathered to oppose — The Man. But Ryan doesn’t look like The Man. She looks like a mom, one who doesn’t seem to recognize that she’s the object of these people’s ire.
“Isn’t this an honor? Isn’t this wonderful?” she repeats over and over, gazing at the protesters. “People really, really love their libraries.”
Related articles:
State funding at risk. (4/29/2010)
Library board votes to close 4 branches. (4/10/2010)
Recommendation to close 4 branches (among other cuts). (4/8/2010)
More than 100 gather to fight possible branch library closings. (4/4/2010)
The Skinny on Boston's branch libraries. (4/1/2010)
Library measures data published. (3/31/2010)
Don't close the book on us. (3/29/2010)
Citywide Friends of BPL to Hold Demonstration. (3/28/2010)
BPL Budget News Available at Website. (3/25/2010)
A Small Branch Makes a Big Impact. (3/24/2010)
Friends of Boston Public Library Host Read-in to Support Tax Increase. (3/14/2010)
Emotions Reach Boiling Point in Boston Public Library Discussion. (3/13/2010)
The Boston Public Library Dilemma, Continued. (3/12/2010)
Boston Speaks Up for Its Libraries. (3/10/2010)
Boston Public Library Branches to be Ranked in Consolidation Plan. (3/9/2010)
Boston Public Library Anticipating Budget Cuts in 2011. (3/2/2010)
Indianapolis-Marion County Library Board Delays Decision on Branches
Link to June 4 Indianapolis Star article, "Library board to delay decision on closures".
Excerpt: The delay will allow the library board’s finance committee more time to review subsequent proposals and suggestions received from the public, it said in a news release. [Delayed until July 15.]
[snip]
The anticipated deficit is the result of the poor economy and lower caps on property taxes that took effect this year by state law. Property tax revenues provided the library system with 80 percent of its $46 million annual budget in 2009, including operating expenses and debt repayment.
Related articles:
Another big turnout for libraries. (5/13/2010)
Mayor vows to keep library branches open. (5/12/2010)
Residents speak up for their libraries. (5/11/2010)
The neighborhood library as refuge. (5/2/2010)
Indianapolis Star editorial board keeps library funding issue front and center. (4/25/2010)
Efficiency experts look for ways to keep branch libraries open. (4/23/2010)
More than 1400 sign petition to keep Glendale branch open. (4/20/2010)
Editorial: Find resources for library. (4/19/2010)
What's in store for Indianapolis-area libraries? (4/17/2010)
Indiana Pacers bailout talks continue. (4/16/2010)
Postscript. (4/15/2010)
Look what's at the top of Indianapolis's to-do list. (4/14/2010)
A Challenge to Indianapolis-Marion County: Stand Up for Libraries. (4/13/2010)
Library rally caps? Get real, sez IndyStar editorial. (4/12/2010)
Will Indianapolis rally for its libraries? (4/12/2010)
Library considers branch closings. (4/9/2010)
Crowded Republican Field in Wisconsin's 42nd Assembly District
Excerpt: Scott Frostman, a residential loan officer for Associated Bank's Reedsburg office and a member of the Baraboo School Board, announced his plans this week. He joins Wisconsin Dells Mayor Eric Helland, Aureliano "A.J." Salas Jr. of Pardeeville and farmer Jack Cummings of rural Endeavor in the race for the Republican nomination.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Brooklyn Public Library's 'Power-Up' Program
Link to June 3 inc.com article, "Start-Up Help at Your Local Library".
Excerpt: A tree grows there, so why not a startup? The Brooklyn Public Library has been running its “PowerUp!” program since 2003, and more than 2,400 entrepreneurs have participated. That’s a lot of saplings that have started their growth using library resources.
Maud Andrew of BPL’s Business Library Programs and Outreach told me their “Success Council” came up with the idea and started a competition. Members of the council gave prize money for the first round, and The Citi Foundation was the largest initial donor. In subsequent years, Citi has been the primary sponsor.
How is supporting startups part of a local public library’s mission? “The mission of BPL's Business Library is to promote economic development for all Brooklyn residents. PowerUp! is a real life example of the important role access to information plays in the success of a business venture. The participants are required to take classes at the library on writing a business plan, doing market research, making financial projections and giving a presentation,” said Andrew. “They are required to meet with a pro bono business counselor, get a library card and use the Library's resources.”
Just Having Books Around the House Makes a Difference
The smartest way to insure that books
are always available in the home
Link to June 2 Slate.com article, "Book owners have smarter kids".
Excerpt: A study recently published in the journal Research in Social Stratification and Mobility found that just having books around the house (the more, the better) is correlated with how many years of schooling a child will complete. The study (authored by M.D.R. Evans, Jonathan Kelley, Joanna Sikorac and Donald J. Treimand) looked at samples from 27 nations, and according to its abstract, found that growing up in a household with 500 or more books is "as great an advantage as having university-educated rather than unschooled parents, and twice the advantage of having a professional rather than an unskilled father." Children with as few as 25 books in the family household completed on average two more years of schooling than children raised in homes without any books.
According to USA Today, another study, to be published later this year in the journal Reading Psychology, found that simply giving low-income children 12 books (of their own choosing) on the first day of summer vacation "may be as effective as summer school" in preventing "summer slide" -- the degree to which lower-income students slip behind their more affluent peers academically every year. An experimental, federally funded program based on this research will be expanded to eight states this summer, aiming to give away 1.5 million books to disadvantaged kids.
Charlotte Observer Editorial: "Should city 'stay in its lane' on libraries?
Link to June 4 Charlotte Observer editorial.
Excerpt: Council member Susan Burgess, who opposes using city money to help the library, said at a council budget meeting last week, "I love the libraries ... but we ought to stay in our lane. It's a slippery slope." Council member Patsy Kinsey said, "I cannot in good conscience send city money over to support the county." Other council members have said similar things.
Let's see if we understand. It's fine to spend millions upon millions on pavement to bail out the state legislature in Raleigh, but not OK to pony up far less to help keep most of the libraries in your own home county from closing? Yes, pavement is important - up to a point. It is not more important than libraries, however.
The library system, which is independently chartered but which has depended almost exclusively on money from county government, faces the loss of almost half its budget from a cash-strapped county. It has asked Charlotte, the six other Mecklenburg municipalities and the county for more help. Mayor Anthony Foxx has said he'll veto the city budget if it doesn't set aside some money in case a library deal can be worked out. He's using the possibility of city money as a sort of challenge grant - the city would chip in if the other towns do, and if the county does (and if the council approves).
Council members may have questions about how the library has managed resources. Some may question the relative importance of libraries compared with public schools or the park and recreation department or community colleges. It's appropriate to consider those issues. It's also appropriate to make sure any city money would be, truly, a one-time thing.
Related articles:
County commissioners restore some cuts to libraries. (6/4/2010)
Straw votes begin on Mecklinburg County budget. (6/3/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries continue to look for one-time financial help. (5/31/2010)
High school junior speaks out eloquently for libraries. (5/30/2010)
Mayor Foxx on the art of governing. (5/30/2010)
Mayor supports financial help for library. (5/27/2010)
County budget: Oh, yeah, this is fair. (5/25/2010)
Bailout proposal not gaining traction. (5/23/2010)
Library trustees vote to close 4 branches. (5/20/2010)
Mecklenburg County tightens its belt. (5/20/2010)
County manager cuts $14.7 million from library budget. (5/18/2010)
2010-11 Mecklenburg County budget to be unveiled today. (5/18/2010)
North Carolina woman plans on "going straight to the top" to keep Charlotte libraries open. (5/16/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg officials ask local municipalities for $3 million contribution. (4/30/2010)
Library Board chair speaks out. (4/25/2010)
County commissioners seek ways to ease library cuts. (4/23/2010)
Mecklenburg County needs to reduce $85-90 million deficit. (4/16/2010)
County manager takes library board to task. (4/10/2010)
Libraries now open fewer hours. (4/6/2010)
"Save Our Libraries Sunday". (3/29/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg users owe average of 55 cents in fines. (3/27/2010)
Library announces new hours for branches. (3/26/2010)
Library Board applies a Band-Aid to its bleeding system. (3/25/2010)
Follow-up on Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board vote. (3/25/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board votes to keep all branches open. (3/24/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board presented with 2 budget-cutting alternatives. (3/24/2010)
More and bigger cuts looming on horizon. (3/23/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System Rethinks Closings. (3/22/2010)
A New Day is Dawning in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. (3/21/2010)
Mecklenburg County Commissioners Restore Some Cuts to Libraries
Link to June 4 Charlotte Observer, "County eyes smaller cuts to schools and libraries. Commissioners' straw vote based on sunnier projections of revenue from sales tax".
Excerpt: Gambling on a stronger economy and a reviving sales tax, Mecklenburg commissioners tentatively agreed Thursday to restore more than $14.5 million in planned cuts to schools, libraries, parks and other agencies.
Among the biggest changes: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools would lose about $15.3 million, compared to the $21.3 million recommended by County Manager Harry Jones.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library had $3.5 million restored, lowering its recommended reduction to $11.2 million.
The park and recreation department also had nearly $1.2 million restored.
The changes, approved through a series of straw votes by commissioners, won't become final until the board approves a budget June 15.
Related articles:
Straw votes begin on Mecklinburg County budget. (6/3/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries continue to look for one-time financial help. (5/31/2010)
High school junior speaks out eloquently for libraries. (5/30/2010)
Mayor Foxx on the art of governing. (5/30/2010)
Mayor supports financial help for library. (5/27/2010)
County budget: Oh, yeah, this is fair. (5/25/2010)
Bailout proposal not gaining traction. (5/23/2010)
Library trustees vote to close 4 branches. (5/20/2010)
Mecklenburg County tightens its belt. (5/20/2010)
County manager cuts $14.7 million from library budget. (5/18/2010)
2010-11 Mecklenburg County budget to be unveiled today. (5/18/2010)
North Carolina woman plans on "going straight to the top" to keep Charlotte libraries open. (5/16/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg officials ask local municipalities for $3 million contribution. (4/30/2010)
Library Board chair speaks out. (4/25/2010)
County commissioners seek ways to ease library cuts. (4/23/2010)
Mecklenburg County needs to reduce $85-90 million deficit. (4/16/2010)
County manager takes library board to task. (4/10/2010)
Libraries now open fewer hours. (4/6/2010)
"Save Our Libraries Sunday". (3/29/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg users owe average of 55 cents in fines. (3/27/2010)
Library announces new hours for branches. (3/26/2010)
Library Board applies a Band-Aid to its bleeding system. (3/25/2010)
Follow-up on Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board vote. (3/25/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board votes to keep all branches open. (3/24/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board presented with 2 budget-cutting alternatives. (3/24/2010)
More and bigger cuts looming on horizon. (3/23/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System Rethinks Closings. (3/22/2010)
A New Day is Dawning in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. (3/21/2010)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Straw Votes Begin on Mecklenburg County Budget
Link to June 3 Charlotte Observer article, "Options considered for fewer Mecklenburg cuts. Commissioners will offer ideas for the proposed budget tonight, but some of them could be risky".
Excerpt: Mecklenburg commissioners say they want to ease the pain of budget cuts targeted for schools, libraries, parks, veterans services and the Sheriff's Office.
But the question is how they might pay for it.
Tonight, commissioners could offer some answers as they begin straw-voting on the county's proposed budget for the year that starts July 1. The decisions aren't binding, but many probably will appear in the final spending plan set for approval June 15.
The current budget proposal cuts $81.1 million from county services - including layoffs of more than 440 workers - as the county struggles to recover from the recession and construction debt payments that eat about 21 percent of the budget.
Related articles:
Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries continue to look for one-time financial help. (5/31/2010)
High school junior speaks out eloquently for libraries. (5/30/2010)
Mayor Foxx on the art of governing. (5/30/2010)
Mayor supports financial help for library. (5/27/2010)
County budget: Oh, yeah, this is fair. (5/25/2010)
Bailout proposal not gaining traction. (5/23/2010)
Library trustees vote to close 4 branches. (5/20/2010)
Mecklenburg County tightens its belt. (5/20/2010)
County manager cuts $14.7 million from library budget. (5/18/2010)
2010-11 Mecklenburg County budget to be unveiled today. (5/18/2010)
North Carolina woman plans on "going straight to the top" to keep Charlotte libraries open. (5/16/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg officials ask local municipalities for $3 million contribution. (4/30/2010)
Library Board chair speaks out. (4/25/2010)
County commissioners seek ways to ease library cuts. (4/23/2010)
Mecklenburg County needs to reduce $85-90 million deficit. (4/16/2010)
County manager takes library board to task. (4/10/2010)
Libraries now open fewer hours. (4/6/2010)
"Save Our Libraries Sunday". (3/29/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg users owe average of 55 cents in fines. (3/27/2010)
Library announces new hours for branches. (3/26/2010)
Library Board applies a Band-Aid to its bleeding system. (3/25/2010)
Follow-up on Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board vote. (3/25/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board votes to keep all branches open. (3/24/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board presented with 2 budget-cutting alternatives. (3/24/2010)
More and bigger cuts looming on horizon. (3/23/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System Rethinks Closings. (3/22/2010)
A New Day is Dawning in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. (3/21/2010)
North Carolina: First in Scented Billboards, Too
Excerpt: The Bloom grocery chain, part of Salisbury-based Food Lion, hopes to catch shoppers by the nose by wafting black pepper and charcoal smells from the base of a sign along River Highway (N.C. 150) in Mooresville.
And though businesses have been employing specialized aromas to boost sales and create ambiance for years, this, it appears, is a different frontier - one designed to cut through the clutter that commuters encounter every day.
Can't afford a billboard? Try this!
Wide Eyes, Dropped Jaws at Augmented Reality Event
Link to June 2 San Jose Mercury News article, "Gee-whiz factor high at augmented reality conference".
Excerpt: The first-ever global gathering devoted to the business potential of augmented-reality technology kicked off Wednesday at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
And it was hard to see where the augmented started and the reality stopped.
That's the bedeviling thing about this exotic branch of computer science that superimposes digital images and text over live real-time images. It's sort of trapped between the real world and your computer monitor or smartphone screen. Think of those yellow "first down" lines scribbled over a live shot of a televised football game. Think the online search tool Yelp's ability to overlay a users' rating grid over that restaurant you're pointing your iPhone at. Think of an emerging technology where the digital and the "real" worlds commingle and you're left straddling the two in wide-eyed wonder.
Congratulations to Phyllis Davis on her Retirement
And, more importantly, for her many years of service to libraries. (Enjoyed working with you on a variety of projects through the years and look forward to continue working with you on SCLS Foundation activities.)
Link to June 2 Deforest Times-Tribune article, "Library system director bookin' it to retirement".
Excerpt: Phyllis Davis has played a key role in technological and governance changes at South Central Library System, but the retiring director knows the most important part of her job is the people.
“It’s not the system or the software you have to be dedicated to,” said Davis, who will retire in June. “It’s the people.”
Davis has been dedicated to SCLS since she came to the organization in 1985. She’s been dedicated to making the library easier to use for people, and dedicated to the people who run libraries having a say in the way they are run.
The Windsor resident had held many library-related jobs before joining SCLS in 1985 as its automation coordinator. She oversaw the development of the LINKCat shared database, an online tool that allows patrons from one library to view and check out items from another library.
Excerpt: Phyllis Davis has played a key role in technological and governance changes at South Central Library System, but the retiring director knows the most important part of her job is the people.
“It’s not the system or the software you have to be dedicated to,” said Davis, who will retire in June. “It’s the people.”
Davis has been dedicated to SCLS since she came to the organization in 1985. She’s been dedicated to making the library easier to use for people, and dedicated to the people who run libraries having a say in the way they are run.
The Windsor resident had held many library-related jobs before joining SCLS in 1985 as its automation coordinator. She oversaw the development of the LINKCat shared database, an online tool that allows patrons from one library to view and check out items from another library.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
2nd Dem Announces for Obey's Seat
Excerpt: It looks like Democrats in the 7th Congressional District will have a primary after all, if Joe Reasbeck has anything to say about it.
"Maybe some party insiders feel like we should have a coronation. I'm of the mindset that we should have a debate," said Reasbeck, referring to the party's selection of state Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, to seek the seat that will be vacated by Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, upon his retirement next year.
Reasbeck, 41, of Iron River announced his candidacy Saturday in Superior. Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, he said one of his top legislative priorities would be to promote policies that expand high-speed Internet access into rural areas such as Northwoods Wisconsin. He said the infrastructure would be a key part of future job creation efforts.
"We're in the information age," Reasbeck said. "This is as important as rural electrification, the laying of the railroads ... and the Interstate system."
Reasbeck grew up in the Superior area, graduating from Superior Senior High School in 1987. He wrestled at the University of Minnesota, and has written young adult novels about wrestling. He said he worked in California in the '90s on a dot-com startup company, and that he and his family moved back to northern Wisconsin in March. He is married with four young sons.
Summer Reading Research Focuses on Low-Income Students
Program founded by Rebecca Constantino
Link to June 1 USA Today article , "Free books block 'summer slide' in low-income students".
Excerpt: Schools have always tried to get students to read over the summer. For middle-class students, that's not as big a deal with their access to books at home, public libraries and neighborhood bookstores, says Richard Allington, a longtime reading researcher at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Over the past 20 years, researchers have shown that low-income students simply have less access to print. In some cases, even walking to the local public library may be too dangerous.
"A lot of parents say, 'When we're gone, you can't go to the library.' It's not an option," says Rebecca Constantino, a researcher and instructor at the University of California-Irvine.
Wisconsin has a similar program.
Fond du Lac School District Reconsideration Committee to Meet
Excerpt: Citizen Ann Wentworth is requesting the book "Forever in Blue: the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood" by Ann Brashare be removed from the library at Theisen Middle School.
Related articles:
Yet another book challenge in Fond du Lac. (5/20/2010)
Wentworth motors on. (5/3/2010)
Ann Wentworth gets fan mail. (4/29/2010)
School board upholds decision to keep book on shelves. (4/13/2010)
School library challenge moves to next step. (4/5/2010)
Parent appeals decision to keep book. (2/28/2010)
Fond du Lac School District: Update on Remaining Book Challenges. (2/24/2010)
Sonya Sones Letter to Fond du Lac School Superintendent. (2/23/2010)
The State of Appleton Wisconsin's Downtown
Link to June 2 Appleton Post-Crescent article, "Q&A: Appleton Downtown Inc.'s Jennifer Stephany says downtown Appleton is poised to grow".
Excerpt: As the country works its way out of the latest recession, downtown Appleton also seeks new opportunities.
Appleton Downtown Inc., a downtown advocacy group and development organization for downtown Appleton, is seeking increased activity from businesses interested in locating to the central business district.
Jennifer Stephany, ADI executive director, recently met with The Post-Crescent to discuss the state of the downtown and what's in store for the summer. Here's an edited transcript of that conversation:
Retiring Guy was disappointed to find the word 'library' not used in this [edited] conversation.
Although the Appleton Public Library is not located on College Avenue, it can certainly be considered part of the downtown business district.
And its services and programs definitely draw a lot of people into the downtown area.
Take a look at these numbers (from the 2008 Wisconsin Public Library Service Data).
Let's give credit where credit is due!
Related article:
Eau Claire: the library as anchor store. (7/17/2009)
File Under "Things They Don't You in Library School" (as Did Chip Ward)
Excerpt: Maybe it's that they don't have DVDs. Or maybe they don't have time for big novels. But for whatever reason, in the winter in Salt Lake City, the homeless tend to congregate near the periodicals.
It's something Chip Ward saw every year when he was assistant director of Salt Lake City's public library system. Ward was trained to organize information, to file papers and data. But his job, he says, was as much about knowing regulars as it was shelving books.
There was Crash, a happy drunk with a deep scar that cleaved his face from forehead to chin. There were Mick and Bob who suffered seizures. Margi had dementia. John, open wounds he wouldn't treat. For each, the library was as much a home as anywhere else.
Ward worked at Salt Lake City's central branch, an architecturally arresting five-storey structure that opened in 2003.
A wedge-shaped, glass-fronted wonder that features cafes, an art gallery and one of the world's largest collections of graphic novels, the branch is also the Utah capital's de facto daytime shelter for the homeless and a default hangout for street kids and misfits.
Ward spent five years at the branch. After he retired, he wrote an essay about his work. Published online, the piece became a minor sensation. It was e-mailed from library to library before breaking into the mainstream. Emilio Estevez is now reportedly producing a movie based on its themes.
For Ward, the piece resonated because it dealt with issues that weren't unique to Salt Lake City. The story plays out every day in libraries in Houston and Dallas, Vancouver and Toronto. "I don't think there's an urban library in the country where they can't start telling you stories."
In the past month, there's been a lot of focus on the Edmonton Public Library's downtown branch.
Libraries and the Homeless. January 28, 2010, post by The Homeless Guy.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Novi Public Library Completed On Time and Under Budget
Link to June 1 Hometown News article, "Mouths drop at sight of new Novi Public Library".
Excerpt: Wow. Amazing. Awesome. Beautiful.
Those are just a few of the many one-word exclamations people used as they made their way through the new Novi Public Library for the first time Tuesday morning.
A small crowd gathered at the entrance to the building a little before 10 a.m. with Kehong Niu and his wife Hiumiu the first in line. They were greeted by several library staffers who fought back tears as people entered.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” said library director Julie Farkas. “I’m so excited for this community and so excited they are in awe of this place.
“It’s a dream come true.”
The library construction was completed on time and under the $12.5 million budget voters approved in 2007.
Aggrieved Vent Online...and Defendants Get Slapp-Happy
Link to Facebook page
Link to June 1 New York Times article, "Venting Online, Consumers Can Find Themselves in Court".
Excerpt: Web sites like Facebook, Twitter and Yelp have given individuals a global platform on which to air their grievances with companies. But legal experts say the soaring popularity of such sites has also given rise to more cases like Mr. Kurtz’s, in which a business sues an individual for posting critical comments online.
The towing company’s lawyer said that it was justified in removing Mr. Kurtz’s car because the permit was not visible, and that the Facebook page was costing it business and had unfairly damaged its reputation.
Some First Amendment lawyers see the case differently. They consider the lawsuit an example of the latest incarnation of a decades-old legal maneuver known as a strategic lawsuit against public participation, or Slapp.
[snip]
Many states [27, the article later specifies] have anti-Slapp laws, and Congress is considering legislation to make it harder to file such a suit. The bill, sponsored by Representatives Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Charlie Gonzalez of Texas, both Democrats, would create a federal anti-Slapp law, modeled largely on California’s statute.
State-by-state overview.
The Sideshow Known as the Texas Board of Education
Link to May 31 Los Angeles Times article, "Experts: New, more conservative textbook curriculum is unlikely to go beyond Texas".
Excerpt: The influence of Texas on the $7 billion U.S. textbook market has steadily weakened.
Technology has made it easier and more affordable for publishers to tailor textbooks to different standards. That's especially true in the 20 other states like Texas where education boards approve textbooks for statewide use.
Substitutions are an easy fix. And publishers won't gamble on incorporating one state's controversial curriculum into a one-size-fits-all product for other markets, said Jay Diskey, executive director of the schools division of the Association of American Publishers.
Diskey's group is the trade group for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson Education Inc., which together publish more than 75 percent of the nation's K-12 textbooks.
"Why would we walk in with stuff that we know might be rejected and knock us out of a business opportunity?" Diskey said.
Marshfield Wisconsin's Historic Preservation Month Activities/"Passport to History" Program
Great example of cooperative programming
Link to June 1 Marshfield Daily Herald article, "Passport game features city's historical sites".
Link to June 1 Marshfield Daily Herald article, "Passport game features city's historical sites".
Excerpt: This is the second year the city's Historic Preservation Committee has organized the Passport to History project. While the event was held in one month -- May -- last year, the project will continue through the summer, ending at 5 p.m. Sept. 17.
"The intent is to familiarize people in the community with the city's history. It's also a fun activity for visitors and tourists," said committee member Don Schnitzler of Marshfield.
"The intent is to familiarize people in the community with the city's history. It's also a fun activity for visitors and tourists," said committee member Don Schnitzler of Marshfield.
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