Related article.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Taking Stock of the Major Players in the Movie Rental Business
Blockbuster. Netflix. Redbox.
For those of you who like this kinda stuff.
Link to informative overview by Maria Halkias in the May 8 Dallas Morning News, "Blockbuster is trying to turn it around". (Blockbuster's headquarters is in Dallas.)
Excerpt: (Stuff Retiring Guy found particularly of interest is noted in bold print.)
Blockbuster turns 25 in October. It's still the largest renter of movies.
It won the brick-and-mortar battle well before its largest store competitor, Movie Gallery Inc., filed for bankruptcy in February for the second time. Movie Gallery is closing its remaining 2,414 stores, which include Hollywood Video outlets.
As in the 1990s, when Blockbuster won revenue-sharing agreements from the big movie studios, the chain remains a critical link to consumers for Hollywood.
Blockbuster struck deals this year with three studios – Fox, Sony and Warner Bros. – for exclusive rights to rent new-release DVDs for the first 28 days. For studios, it preserves the higher price that box office hits traditionally fetch when they initially move to DVD. That had been threatened by Redbox's $1-a-day rental kiosks.
For Blockbuster, it's a competitive advantage over Netflix and Redbox, becoming the exclusive source of new-release DVD rentals. New releases account for up to 80 percent of Blockbuster's revenue.
Blockbuster still has 25 million customers who come through its 4,000 U.S. doors at least once a month, preferring to browse the shelves when they have time for a movie.
But last year's $6.7 billion rental market is way below its 2002 peak of $8.3 billion, and stores now share more than half that revenue with kiosks and by-mail rentals.
For those of you who like this kinda stuff.
Excerpt: (Stuff Retiring Guy found particularly of interest is noted in bold print.)
Blockbuster turns 25 in October. It's still the largest renter of movies.
It won the brick-and-mortar battle well before its largest store competitor, Movie Gallery Inc., filed for bankruptcy in February for the second time. Movie Gallery is closing its remaining 2,414 stores, which include Hollywood Video outlets.
As in the 1990s, when Blockbuster won revenue-sharing agreements from the big movie studios, the chain remains a critical link to consumers for Hollywood.
Blockbuster struck deals this year with three studios – Fox, Sony and Warner Bros. – for exclusive rights to rent new-release DVDs for the first 28 days. For studios, it preserves the higher price that box office hits traditionally fetch when they initially move to DVD. That had been threatened by Redbox's $1-a-day rental kiosks.
For Blockbuster, it's a competitive advantage over Netflix and Redbox, becoming the exclusive source of new-release DVD rentals. New releases account for up to 80 percent of Blockbuster's revenue.
Blockbuster still has 25 million customers who come through its 4,000 U.S. doors at least once a month, preferring to browse the shelves when they have time for a movie.
But last year's $6.7 billion rental market is way below its 2002 peak of $8.3 billion, and stores now share more than half that revenue with kiosks and by-mail rentals.
Twitter: Survey Says...
...25% of U.S. Twitter users are African-American.
Link to May 15 Charlotte Observer article, "African-Americans find home in the Twitterverse".
Excerpt: A recent study from Edison Research, a media research firm, is the latest to confirm Twitter's popularity among African-Americans. They make up 25 percent of Twitter's 17 million users, according to the Edison study - almost double their 13.5 percent of the U.S. population.
Facebook's more than 116 million U.S. users, by contrast, reflect roughly the same diversity as the American population. (Worldwide, Facebook has more than 400 million users).
Excerpt: A recent study from Edison Research, a media research firm, is the latest to confirm Twitter's popularity among African-Americans. They make up 25 percent of Twitter's 17 million users, according to the Edison study - almost double their 13.5 percent of the U.S. population.
Facebook's more than 116 million U.S. users, by contrast, reflect roughly the same diversity as the American population. (Worldwide, Facebook has more than 400 million users).
Dwight Foster Public Library's Foster Growth Raffle.
Tickets for the raffle are $15 each or three for $40. Drawing takes place at noon on Saturday, July 31, at the Fort Atkinson Farmers Market.
Grand prize. Milwaukee Brewers luxury suite package for 14 people, including food and parking, for a baseball game on Friday, Aug. 27. The package, donated by David and Julia Uihlein, is valued at $2,200. David Uihlein is a partner in Uihlein Wilson Architects, the firm that designed the new wing and renovations of the library and has been actively involved during the past several years with the project.
Second prize. Door County weekend getaway package that includes a gift certificate for two weekends or a fall week at Foxwood Cottage in Jacksonport and a $30 gift certificate at Top Shelf Gourmet in Sturgeon Bay.
Other prizes include a pair of diamond earrings from Krueger Jeweler, three golf lessons provided by David Davis, a hand-held video camera, a Simple Life gift certificate, a North Leaf Winery gift certificate, three books signed by Green Bay Packer Donald Driver, a Velvet Touch Salon gift certificate, a Lia Sofia necklace and more.
Related articles:
Groundbreaking pics. (4/5/2010)
For Atkinson Library Moves to Temporary Home. (3/13/2010)
Fort Atkinson Library Building Project Update. (2/17/2010)
Fort Atkinson library to move to temporary quarters. (12/3/2009)
Fort Library Receives Substantial Donation. (4/29/2009)
Fort Atkinson Moves Ahead on Library Project. (3/19/2009)
Friday, May 14, 2010
More Good News from Ohio re: Library Levies
Clark County's first library levy passes with 56% of vote. (Springfield News-Sun, 5/5/2010)
64% support Findlay-Hancock Public Library.
77% support Grandview Heights Public Library.
64.5% support Lane Public Libraries.
All told, 25 of 29 library levies were approved. That speaks volumes, as they say, about how much people love and value libraries.
64% support Findlay-Hancock Public Library.
77% support Grandview Heights Public Library.
64.5% support Lane Public Libraries.
All told, 25 of 29 library levies were approved. That speaks volumes, as they say, about how much people love and value libraries.
We're Not Calling People on our Cellphones (Very Much)
Excerpt: Liza Colburn uses her cellphone constantly.
The one thing she doesn’t use her cellphone for? Making calls.
“I probably only talk to someone verbally on it once a week,” said Mrs. Colburn, a 40-year-old marketing consultant in Canton, Mass., who has an iPhone.
For many Americans, cellphones have become irreplaceable tools to manage their lives and stay connected to the outside world, their families and networks of friends online. But increasingly, by several measures, that does not mean talking on them very much.
Layoffs and Service Cuts in Store for Illinois' North Suburban Library System
Link to May 12 Daily Herald article, "State budget woes could hurt suburban library system".
Excerpt: More than half the employees of the North Suburban Library System, a cooperative organization serving about 650 libraries in Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, will lose their jobs by May 30, spokeswoman Judy Hoffman said.
Exactly how many of the group's 20 full-time and five part-time workers will lose their jobs is not yet known, but "there are definitely going to be massive layoffs at the end of May," Hoffman said.
"Much is still in the works, but that is for sure," she said.
[snip]
The Wheeling-based library system is one of nine regional library organizations operating in Illinois. They help local facilities share resources and information.
DuPage County has its own system, as does the Chicago Public Library. All of the systems are affected by the state's financial woes, but not all are taking the same drastic steps this month, Hoffman said.
A spokesman for the DuPage Library System could not be reached for comment.
Related articles:
Illinois Library Systems Still Await the Remaining 65% of Their State Funding. (3/6/2010)
State funding shortage may doom library systems. (2/14/2010)
"Save Illinois Libraries" Campaign Shakes Loose Some Funds. (1/22/2010)
Save Illinois Libraries: Tweeting Up a Storm of Support. (1/20/2010)
Sarah Long: Illinois Regional Library Systems and Boiling Frogs. (1/13/2010)
lllinois Regional Multi-Type Library Systems Hit with Cut in Funding. (8/13/2009)
Library Governance: Case Study for Fall 2010 LIS 712 "The Public Library" Syllabus
Opened August 2009
Link to May 14 Daily Herald article, "Sugar Grove library board faces plenty of questions".
Excerpt: Friends of the Sugar Grove Public Library took the library board to task Thursday night for changes it is making in the way the board runs the library, and for what it sees as bad treatment of longtime library Director Beverly Holmes Hughes.
And Hughes herself read a statement to the board, saying she thought a change to having an annual staff review by the board was prompted by disagreement with a "recent personnel decision" she made. "My decision to hire and fire staff, for 19 years, has never been an issue for the board," she told the board.
"How is the board more qualified than the staff we have in place?" Pat Graceffa said. She also criticized the board for having a committee meeting at a trustee's house in April, and said the board did not post adequate notice of the meeting.
The discussion came on the same night that the board honored Hughes for 20 years of service to the library, presenting her with a certificate and a lapel pin.
Speaking of Comments, Thomas Chatterton Williams is Likely to Stir Up Lots of Them
Excerpt: A group of teenagers armed with little more than an attitude and some turntables created a rebellion 30 years ago in the Bronx. The fire spread across the globe, from Beirut to Beijing, where youths use hip-hop to rap about being denied freedom, power and a voice.
Back at home, the lingua franca of the counterculture has become the language of vapid commercialism and empty values, according to author Thomas Chatterton Williams.
The argument he makes in his book, "Losing My Cool: How a Father's Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture," is not about high culture versus low culture. Neither is the book — Williams' first — a thinly disguised attempt to make money by offering lurid details about hip-hop's royalty.
The stakes are too high for that, especially for African-Americans, said Williams by telephone during a national book tour that touches down Friday at the Book Passage in Corte Madera.
Probably Not in the Constituent Services Coordinator Job Description
Today's Egg-On-Face Award to Darlene Wink
Excerpt: Ever wonder who has the time and motivation to go online and post all those highly partisan comments about Journal Sentinel stories?
Here's one:
Darlene Wink, constituent services coordinator for County Executive Scott Walker.
Using a pseudonym, Wink has posted about 70 comments on Journal Sentinel blogs and stories since October - most of them praising her boss, touting his gubernatorial bid or ripping his two opponents, Democratic Mayor Tom Barrett and ex-U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, a Republican. And she was becoming increasingly prolific, offering nearly 25 comments in April, according to a routine check of online search engines.
But here's the kicker:
The vast majority of these were done while she was on the clock for the taxpayers and the county.
Dane County Supervisor Brett Hulsey First Democrat to Announce for Spencer Black's Assembly Seat
Excerpt: Hulsey, who was considered by many to be among a short list of candidates to run for the Democrat's seat in the 77th district that includes portions of Madison, Middleton, and Shorewood Hills, is citing his record of job creation and environmental stewardship as his strengths for seeking higher office. Republican Dave Redick, a Madison businessman, announced he is running for Black's seat earlier this week.
Dave Redick describes himself as a "Ron Paul Style Reform Republican".
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Voters Approve Library Levies in Ohio
Library levies in Summit win favor with voters. (Akron Beacon-Journal, 5/6/2010)
62% in favor. Akron-Summit County Public Library.
62% in favor. Barberton Public Library
56% in favor. Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.
62% in favor. Akron-Summit County Public Library.
62% in favor. Barberton Public Library
56% in favor. Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library.
Thank you to Ohio voters for showing your support for libraries.
Latest Economic Outlook Report from Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Link to 3-page report (pdf file)
New York City's Public Libraries Face Huge Budget Cuts
Link to May 13 New York Daily News article, "Mayor Bloomberg's budget ax will prune key public library branches".
Excerpt: Nearly all city agencies are feeling the pain - 20 fire companies are on the block, as are dozens of senior centers. Some 11,000 city workers could be laid off.
Not even a deserving institution like the city's library system would be spared from the devastating proposed budget cuts. A case in point, the award-winning Queens Library - an essential resource for many thousands of New Yorkers - would be severely slashed.
"Queens Library was recently recognized nationally as Library Journal's '2009 Library of the Year' in part because of the quality, depth and breadth of our programs and services," said Thomas Galante, the library's CEO. "When service hours are reduced by over 40% - as would happen with this budget - nearly every opportunity library users currently have, to improve and enrich their lives, could be lost behind locked doors."
For the 50,000 people who walk through the doors of the Queens Library system each day, this would be tragic.
The city's proposed budget calls for slashing $16.9 million on July 1 from the Queens Library. This is on top of previous funding reductions, bringing the total cut to $28.3 million - 30% sustained since 2008. If this happens, library services in the borough will have been reduced to their lowest levels ever.
The cuts are part of a larger citywide plan to plug a $4.9 billion budget deficit.
Related articles:
Library budget cutting fever crosses the East River. (5/7/2010)
Mayor's budget proposes $36,000,000 cut to New York Public Library. (5/7/2010)
Another Big Turnout for Indianapolis Libraries
One of 6 branches being considered for closure
Link to May 13 Indianapolis Star article, "Residents turn out again to support libraries. Another crowd urges board to avoid closures".
Excerpt: Residents turned out in force Wednesday for the second time this week to express support for the library system and opposition to a proposal to close six local branches.
Among them was Dorothy Tompkins, who pointed out that she was concerned although no libraries in her Southside neighborhood were on the list for possible closure. Most are surrounded by low-income neighborhoods.
"To me, this is taking away from the people who need it most," she said. "There are many alternatives."
Meanwhile, back on the court......
Related articles:
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)
Monona Library Director on medical leave following brain aneurysm
Very sad news. Please keep Demita in your thoughts an prayers.
Link to May 10 Monona Independent Herald article.
Excerpt: The Monona Public Library regrets to announce that Library Director Demita Gerber is on indefinite medical leave following emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm. Gerber was admitted to an area hospital on Monday, April 26, and underwent surgery the following day. She remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition. Her family anticipates a lengthy recovery.
Gerber was named Director of the Monona Public Library in 2006 and has overseen numerous improvements to library service. She was a driving force behind the recently completed ‘Booked for Life Endowment Fund Drive’ that raised $153,000 for the library’s future vitality. She has also worked closely with the staff and board to improve patron access to technology, establish new early literacy initiatives, launch online tutoring, and foster a new teen program. Library circulation under her leadership has reached record highs.
In anticipation of Gerber’s extended absence, Assistant Director Erick Plumb was appointed Acting Director by the Library Board at a special meeting on Friday, May 7. Plumb also joined the library staff in 2006, and was named Assistant Director in late 2008. “We’re obviously concerned for Demita’s health and her family’s well-being,” Plumb said. “Demita’s absence will be difficult for library staff as she provided outstanding leadership on a daily basis. But she has built a tremendous team over the last four years, and our patrons should continue to expect the same great service.”
Cards can be sent to Demita via the Monona Public Library, 1000 Nichols Road, Monona WI 53716.
Link to May 10 Monona Independent Herald article.
Excerpt: The Monona Public Library regrets to announce that Library Director Demita Gerber is on indefinite medical leave following emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm. Gerber was admitted to an area hospital on Monday, April 26, and underwent surgery the following day. She remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition. Her family anticipates a lengthy recovery.
Gerber was named Director of the Monona Public Library in 2006 and has overseen numerous improvements to library service. She was a driving force behind the recently completed ‘Booked for Life Endowment Fund Drive’ that raised $153,000 for the library’s future vitality. She has also worked closely with the staff and board to improve patron access to technology, establish new early literacy initiatives, launch online tutoring, and foster a new teen program. Library circulation under her leadership has reached record highs.
In anticipation of Gerber’s extended absence, Assistant Director Erick Plumb was appointed Acting Director by the Library Board at a special meeting on Friday, May 7. Plumb also joined the library staff in 2006, and was named Assistant Director in late 2008. “We’re obviously concerned for Demita’s health and her family’s well-being,” Plumb said. “Demita’s absence will be difficult for library staff as she provided outstanding leadership on a daily basis. But she has built a tremendous team over the last four years, and our patrons should continue to expect the same great service.”
Cards can be sent to Demita via the Monona Public Library, 1000 Nichols Road, Monona WI 53716.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Not a Library Sign
Though it would be quite the eyeopener if it were.
Question: Once you "remove" your gun, do you hold onto to it as you would your hat and sunglasses?".
Apparently, Retiring Guy is little behind the times in the banking world.
Apparently, Retiring Guy is little behind the times in the banking world.
City of Orange Closes Library Due to Lead Paint and Asbestos Hazards
Library designed by Stanford White
Link to May 9 Newark Star-Ledger article, "Orange library director suspended after historic library was forced to closed". (via Facebook post by Cheryl Becker)
Excerpt: In March, [Library Director Doris] Walker said she first learned of the presence of hazardous materials in 2003, but said she was told that conditions were safe in the building, which was built in 1901 and is a national historic site. The library board drafted a $1.5 million renovation of the building in 2006, but has been unable to raise the funds, she said. The library operates on an $850,000 annual operating budget.
Last week Walker hired Paterson contractor Alpine Painting and Sandblasting to remediate the lead paint for more than $43,000. On Thursday the board decided it would start accepting proposals to fix the asbestos problem.
[Mayor Eldridge] Hawkins said at the meeting that it is unknown when the library will re-open.
Selected Orange Public Library statistics from the New Jersey State Library.
City of Orange Township (New Jersey) Historical Overview
Indianapolis Mayor Vows to Keep Library Branches Open
Link to May 12 Indianapolis Star article, "City vows to keep 6 libraries' doors open. Ballard pledges short-term fix but says long-term solution must be found".
Excerpt: The city pledged on Tuesday to keep open the six library branches that the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library has said could close because of budget constraints.
Exactly how the city would help is still uncertain, but leaders made it clear that coming up with a stopgap measure to avoid the closings is critical.
"The mayor is committed to keeping the libraries open until a long-term solution is found," said Robert Vane, deputy chief of staff and communications director for Mayor Greg Ballard. "But he is clear: A long-term solution must be found."
The city's promise comes a day after residents packed a public forum on a plan that library officials have floated to deal with a $3.2 million shortfall caused by property tax caps. Another forum is set for tonight. [Emphasis added.]
Related articles:
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)
Milwaukee Public Library Plans to Expand Computer Access with 250 Laptops
Link to May 12 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article, "Library system hopes to add laptops".
Excerpt: Seeking to bridge the digital divide, the Milwaukee Public Library is moving forward with a plan to bring almost 250 laptop computers into its branches in the city's poorest neighborhoods.
If federal stimulus funding is approved, the project would increase by nearly 65% the number of computers with Internet access for library patrons citywide.
Library Director Paula Kiely says the plan reflects the importance of offering computer access to residents who might not be able to get it anywhere else.
Whether you're trying to find a job or searching for information, "If you're not connected these days, you're missing out," Kiely says.
Yet, Kiely adds, "many families still don't have computers at home and may not have access to computers at school or even at work. For some people, this may be their only access to computers and the Internet."
In a recent study of Internet access at libraries nationwide, researchers from the University of Washington wrote, "As the nation struggled through a historic recession, nearly one-third of the U.S. population over the age of 14 used library Internet computers and those in poverty relied on those resources even more. . . . Internet access is now one of the most sought-after public library services, and it is used by nearly half of all visitors."
Portage Public Library: Putting Together the Financial Pieces for Building Expansion
Excerpt: If an addition is built onto the Portage Public Library, residents will see an intricate arrangement of concrete, masonry and metal take shape on West Edgewater Street. But before that can happen, an intricate arrangement of money, paperwork and people must take shape in meeting rooms and offices.
Some of the ways in which those latter pieces might fit together were made clearer during the library board's monthly meeting Tuesday.
The project, which could add 6,000 square feet to the building, is expected to cost as much as $1 million.
Space would come from an adjacent lot occupied by a vacant brick house built in 1865.
Money is one of the key pieces to expansion.
Library Director Shannon Stiller told the board that the Bidwell Foundation, a local nonprofit that has contributed matching funds for numerous civic projects, said it would be willing to make about $400,000 available for expansion. One of the foundation's three trustees reiterated the organization's interest Tuesday.
Related articles:
Library seeks community input for expansion. (1/13/2010)
Board discussion rental property options. (11/11/2009)
Et tu, tutor? Sylvan's Curious Business Model
A worthy partnership? Just askin'.
Sylvan Learning centers suddenly close. (Madison, WI. 5/11/2010)
Similar stories elsewhere.
Sylvan to close. (Fremont, NE. 4/29/2010)
Customers out thousands after Sylvan Learning Center locations close. (Louisville, KY. 4/27/2010)
Sylvan Learning center closes after 15 years. (Grand Junction, CO. 3/6/2010)
Sylvan Learning Center closes in Cape Girardeau. (Missouri. 5/19/2009)
Sylvan Learning Center closes. (Quincy, IL. 5/8/2009)
3 area Sylvan Learning Centers close without warning. (Springfield, MA. 9/29/2008)
OK, Retiring Guy thinks this sampling establishes enough of a pattern.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
On the Skids, Playboy Tries a Silly Marketing Gimmick
Back story: Playboy Reducing Circulation, Combining Issues. (Photo District News, 10/20/2009)
Excerpt: Starting with the January 2010 issue, Playboy’s rate base will drop to 1.5 million from 2.6 million, a rep there said.
Playboy also will combine its January and February issues after doing the same with its July and August issues this past summer. No decision has been made about repeating the July/August double issue this year, the rep said.
The changes aren’t unexpected. Playboy Enterprises’ recently named CEO Scott Flanders has pledged big changes at the flagship magazine, which has been facing lower ad and circulation revenue. The company has hinted at the possibility of more rate base cuts along with other big changes to the print edition, including an outright sale.
The latest development: Playboy centerfold expands to 3D. (cnet news, 5/11/2010)
Excerpt: Hefner explained it like this to the AP: "This particular picture is one example of how books and magazines are different (than computer images). You can hold [them] in your hands, save them, and as Dad used to, put them under the mattress."
Protesting Library Budget Cuts in Los Angeles
Related articles:
Librarians Protest Budget Cuts, Crowding Hollywood Intersection During Rush Hour. (laist, 5/10/2010)
Another elective body thinks libraries are dispensable. (5/5/2010)
Cutting library hours: Charlotte Mecklenburg this week, LA next week, who's next? (4/6/2010)
More news under the same headline. (3/24/2010)
Cutting library hours: Charlotte Mecklenburg this week, LA next week, who's next? (4/6/2010)
More news under the same headline. (3/24/2010)
Save America's Libraries (The Los Angeles Story). (3/23/2010)
Miami Springs Library Renovation Project Not Going Well
Link to May 10 Miami Herald article, "Miami Springs Branch library renovation overdue, needs builder to finish".
Excerpt: Those waiting for a newly renovated Miami Springs Branch Library will have to wait a little longer.
The library's original location at 401 Westward Dr. began undergoing renovations in April 2007. Since then, the library has been housed at its temporary location at 700 South Royal Poinciana Blvd.
But construction, which was expected to be completed within two years, came to a halt in October.
The reason: The contractor was removed from the project because ``of poor performance and not moving the project along in a timely manner,'' said Victoria Galan, public affairs manager for the Miami-Dade Public Library System.
Indianapolis-Marion County Residents Speak Up for Their Libraries
Link to May 11 Indianapolis Star article, "Residents: Endangered libraries help communities".
[Retiring Guy would have preferred a "stronger" adjective in the headline.]
Excerpt: Speakers at the forum, held at the Library Services Center on the Near Northside, urged Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library leaders to keep all 23 locations open.
Several pointed out that the city is being asked to chip in much more to keep the Indiana Pacers playing at Conseco Fieldhouse, a point that repeatedly drew loud cheers from the crowd. Speakers also complained that closing libraries would hurt underserved inner-city neighborhoods and force many youngsters to walk longer distances to use a computer or find books to read.
"Every family does not have a computer at home," Morris, 48, said before the meeting. "Libraries, in my opinion, do build communities."
Related articles:
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)
A Reminiscence and Graphic Proof of the Death of the Album
One of the first albums in Retiring Guy's collection.
And when I played it on this piece of furniture in the Nelson family living room....
Mom yelled out from the kitchen...
Turn off that noise!!
From May 10 ars technica post, "The death of the album (in handy graph form)"
And when I played it on this piece of furniture in the Nelson family living room....
Mom yelled out from the kitchen...
Turn off that noise!!
From May 10 ars technica post, "The death of the album (in handy graph form)"
We have more sets to watch TV
The average is now 2.93 per household.
Related article:
As USA Today would say, "We're watching more TV". (5/3/2010)
Who's Going to Run for Spencer Black's Seat?
Excerpt: At least two Dane County Board supervisors are considering joining what could be a crowded field for state Rep. Spencer Black's open Assembly seat.
Sups. Brett Hulsey, of Madison, and Dianne Hesselbein, of Middleton, said they are considering running as Democrats for the seat Black, D-Madison, announced Sunday he would vacate after 26 years.
These are the first two names that popped into Retiring Guy's mind.
The Baby Names List, 1900-1999
The inspiration for this post is found here.
What Retiring Guy found interesting about the lists below is that 4 boys' names -- James, John, William, and Joseph -- were among the top 20 for the entire 20th century. On the other hand, only three girls' names -- Elizabeth, Mary, and Margaret -- made the list more than half the time.
Walter Vogl, Two Rivers Historian, Dies at 87
Link to Herald-Times-Reporter article.
Excerpt: "He was one of the key individuals to keep the Washington House going," said Donald Konop, president of the Two Rivers Historical Society, which operates the Washington House Museum & Visitor Center.
The building, at the corner of 16th and Jefferson streets, which previously was a bar, dance hall and rooming house, was vacant and deteriorated and was going to be torn down, according to Konop. Vogl was a driving force in raising money in the early 1990s to preserve the building, he said.
Two Rivers native JoAnna Richard -- Washington High School class of 1981 -- and her Retiring Guy husband.
Jeff Dawson, Two Rivers' Lester Public Library Director, provides a great set of Washington House photos at Flickr.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Another Top 40 Reference Title Bites the Dust
From the Baker & Taylor Continuations discontinued notice.
Now available on the web.
Whoa, mama! This needs work, David.
