Retiring Guy's Digest: 2011-03-20

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Gail Borden's "Board Member from Hell" in the News Again

Hopp's term doesn't expire until April 2013

Hopp also banned from Judson library. (Daily Herald, 3/22/2011)

Excerpt: Trouble keeps piling up for Randy Hopp.

The Gail Borden Library trustee, who for three consecutive years has been banned from his own library, appeared in court Wednesday for a hearing on charges he punched his elderly parents during an argument last week.

And now he has been banned at another library — the one on the campus of Judson University.

“For the safety of our campus, they've decided to discontinue his access,” said Bethany Suckrow, social media manager for Judson's communications office.

Suckrow said campus safety made the decision to ban Hopp, who has been a patron of the library. She was not aware of any specific incidents on campus that preceded the ban but said in most cases, the university tries to keep access to its resources open.

“It is a permanent ban,” Suckrow said. “We don't plan on ever allowing him back on campus again.”

Related articles:
Crossing t's and dotting i's aren't enough for this library board member. (1/15/2011)
The strange saga of Randy Hopp, library trustee. (5/23/2010)

Challengers Claim Newsletter Profiles of Incumbent Board Members Provide Unfair Advantage

LINK

Newsletter draws fire from Bensenville library candidates. (Daily Herald, 3/25/2011)

Excerpt: Two challengers running for seats on the Bensenville Community Public Library board said a new feature in the library’s newsletter gives unfair publicity to their two incumbent opponents.

The library launched a “Meet Your Trustees” feature last year in the November-December issue of its newsletter and first highlighted board President Alan Heff. [I think that might be spelled Herff.] Soon after, current trustees Linda Kochanski and Tina McCauley filed for re-election — and both were respectively featured in the next two issues

Library Director Jill Rodriguez said the articles were created to give residents “a better idea of who we are and what we do.”

“When we had a focus group, people were suggesting ideas we have already been doing for decades, and that’s really frustrating,” Rodriguez said. “Our marketing coordinator was eliminated last year when we had to make budget cuts, so we must take advantage of every opportunity to connect with residents."

After reading the article on Heff, challenger Nancy Rizzo voiced concerns at the next board meeting about the possibility of future articles conflicting with campaign efforts.

Kochanski was featured in the next issue, though it did not mention her re-election efforts. Still, the article prompted challenger Susan Diamond to protest in January that it was a poor use of taxpayer money.

Dear Nancy and Susan,

Former East Chicago Public Library Director: Doing More Than He Shoulda Oughta Done

Indiana attorney general seeks to freeze East Chicago ex-library director's assets. (Chicago Tribune, 3/22/2011)

Excerpt: The Indiana attorney general's office says it's asking a judge to freeze the assets of the former director of the East Chicago Public Library while a state audit continues into his travel and other expenses.

The suit against Manuel Montalvo was filed Tuesday in Lake Circuit Court.

A recent State Board of Accounts audit recommended that Montalvo repay the library more than $12,000 for travel, lodging, food and vehicle costs for which accountants could determine no library business purpose. Four library board members voted to fire Montalvo last week.

Related article:
Manny removed. (3/17/2011)

The All-Seeing Eye Knows When You're Awake.....and All the Rest

It’s Tracking Your Every Move and You May Not Even Know. (The New York Times, 3/26/2011.)

Excerpt: Cellphone companies do not typically divulge how much information they collect, so Mr. Spitz went to court to find out exactly what his cellphone company, Deutsche Telekom, knew about his whereabouts.

The results were astounding. In a six-month period — from Aug 31, 2009, to Feb. 28, 2010, Deutsche Telekom had recorded and saved his longitude and latitude coordinates more than 35,000 times. It traced him from a train on the way to Erlangen at the start through to that last night, when he was home in Berlin.

Mr. Spitz has provided a rare glimpse — an unprecedented one, privacy experts say — of what is being collected as we walk around with our phones. Unlike many online services and Web sites that must send “cookies” to a user’s computer to try to link its traffic to a specific person, cellphone companies simply have to sit back and hit “record.”

Columbus Mississippi Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Tennessee Williams' Birth

Columbus to recreate Tennessee Williams' world. (Connecticut Post, 3/23/2011)

Excerpt: Tennessee Williams was born 100 years ago in Columbus, and this week the town is celebrating with a birthday party.

A festival there will immerse visitors in the historical context of his works, which include "The Glass Menagerie" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

Columbus is just one of many places that served as home to the great American playwright, and all of them celebrate his memory. Festivals in honor of his birthday, March 26, will be held this month from European universities to the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Even though Williams' family left Columbus when he was just 3, scholars say the town had a major impact on his plays.

Tennessee Williams’s 100th Birthday, Marked in Columbus, Miss. (New York Times, 3/11/2011)

Excerpt: Williams would have turned 100 this month, and towns and cities around the country are hosting fetes in his honor, but none more fittingly than Columbus, the playwright’s birthplace and his home until age 7. This year, the birthday celebration (March 24 to 27) coincides in part with the town’s Spring Pilgrimage (March 28 to April 9), the event that Ms. Caradine referred to, which is traditionally held during the azalea bloom.

Williams-themed festivities will include an exhibition of playbill and movie paraphernalia related to his stage and screen work at the Columbus-Lowndes Library (317 Seventh Street North); tours of St. Paul’s Episcopal (318 College Street), where his grandfather preached (don’t miss the stained-glass windows mentioned in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”); and performances of one of his more obscure plays, “Strangest Kind of Romance,” at the Rosensweig Arts Center (501 Main Street).

Westport Public Library's "Booked for the Evening"

The place to be on Thursday, May 17, 2011.

LINK

Rocker/poet Patti Smith to receive Westport Public Library Award. (Connecticut Post, 3/24/2011)

Excerpt: Previous winners of the Westport Public Library Award -- given to those considered to have nurtured a love of learning and enhanced an understanding of the world -- include: Tom Brokaw, E.L. Doctorow, Calvin Trillin, Wendy Wasserstein, Pete Hamill and Martin Scorsese.

West Warwick Job Club @ the Library

LINK

Where job-seekers can find support. (Providence Journal, 3/22/2011)

Excerpt: Once a week at night in a public library, a group of unemployed Rhode Islanders come together to trade tips about finding work.

It is called the West Warwick Job Club, or simply the Job Club. There is no application, no membership fee. The only requirement is to be out of work or otherwise looking for a job.

Amid Rhode Island’s persistently high unemployment rate, the club’s members seek guidance on job-hunting skills — and take solace that they are not alone.

“Some of these folks have not worked in two or three years because of the economy,” said Steve Colella, the club’s founder and coordinator. “When you look for weeks [for a job], it can be very excruciating and depressing,” he said. “For an hour and a half every Monday night, those folks come through that door ... and they all can feel connected,” he said.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Wisconsin Republicans: Go Where You Wanna Go, Do What You Wanna Do

JOINT FINANCE ANNOUNCES BUDGET HEARING SCHEDULE

The Joint Finance Committee has scheduled four public hearings on the Biennial Budget Bill. The dates, times and location of the hearings are:

Thursday, April 7 (10 am – 6 pm). UW-Stevens Point (Lee Dreyfus University Center, Melvin Laird Room, Stevens Point)

Friday, April 8 (10 am – 5 pm). Northwood School Richard’s Auditorium, Highway 53, Minong. (The arrow in the northwestern section of Wisconsin.)

Monday, April 11 (10 am – 6 pm). State Fair Park, Expo Center Hall A, West Allis.

Wednesday, April 13. (10 am – 6 pm). Arcadia High School Auditorium, Arcadia. (The arrow west of Black River Falls, northwest of La Crosse.)

The committee notice said it will conclude taking testimony at the time specified. (In other words, they refuse to accommodate large turnouts. They're just not into us.)

And on the 10th day, 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 was published

Link to all 46 pages.

How about a little music to set the mood.

Joint Finance Budget Briefing Schedule Announced

The Joint Finance Committee will hold budget briefings beginning March 29. The following is the schedule released by the committee co-chairs. Thursday, March 31, is our red-letter day.

Tuesday, March 29 (10 am – 3 pm): Dept of Administration (including Budget Management and Compensation Reserves); Dept of Revenue; Supreme Court; Dept of Tourism.
Wednesday, March 30 (10 am – 3 pm): Government Accountability Board; Dept of Corrections; Dept of Children and Families.
Thursday, March 31 (10 am – 3 pm): University of Wisconsin System; Higher Educational Aids Board; Dept. of Public Instruction; Wisconsin Technical College System.
Monday, April 4 (10 am – 3 pm): Dept of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Dept of Natural Resources (including Environmental Improvement Fund); Dept of Transportation.
Wednesday, April 6 (10 am – 3 pm): Dept of Health Services; Dept of Commerce; Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority; Dept of Safety and Professional Services (currently the Dept of Regulation and Licensing); Dept of Justice.

This notice is only for budget briefings. A schedule for public hearings on the budget is expected to be released soon.

Speaking of public hearings on the budget.......

At a WisPolitics luncheon meeting yesterday, the following comment was ascribed to Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Rep. Robin Vos (R-Burlington).

A greater emphasis will be put on e-mails and other technology. For example, he does not intend to sit through a 36 hour public hearing when those comments could have easily been presented in writing. Every statement that is submitted will be read by the Co-Chairs. [Emphasis added.]

Wondering if carrier pigeon still qualifies as an 'other technology'?

Charlotte Observer Survey: Can you find $2 million in this budget to give to Mecklenburg libraries?

Link to online form.

Charlotte Mecklenburg libraries haven't seen such large-scale reductions since the Great Depression. (3/17/2010)

Dedicated Library Purpose Tax to Appear on New Jersey Property Tax Bills

Taxes paid to support libraries will be shown separately on tax bill now. (Gloucester County Times, 3/24/2011)

Excerpt: Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula to help support continued funding for public libraries has been signed into law.

“Libraries have been an integral part of learned and progressive society for centuries upon centuries,” said Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex). “This bill is intended to increase transparency with regard to how libraries are funded. Once taxpayers see, in writing, the portion they pay to support their library, I think they’ll agree it is a sound investment that is worth their support.”

The law (S-2068/A-2679) will require municipalities in which a free public library is located, or municipalities that belong to a joint municipal library, to provide for a dedicated library purposes tax on the property tax bill. The law also requires a municipality to pay the library or joint municipal library the funds due to the library on a quarterly basis.

New Jersey Library Association news release.

New Jersey has a minimum funding requirement for public libraries of 1/3 mill of equalized value. (Link to document below.)

Thursday, March 24, 2011

From Library Branch to Internet Room (w/ Fireplace)

Newport may close Balboa library branch. (Daily Pilot, 3/24/2011)

Excerpt: At a meeting about the Balboa Peninsula's Marina Park development Wednesday, city officials unveiled plans to close the Balboa Branch — which houses 35,000 items, including books, DVD and other materials — and to dedicate a portion of the Marina Park Community Center to an "electronic library."

By eliminating books and librarians at the building, they hope to adapt to modern times and save money while providing residents services they'll actually use. In the process, they would replace the library's most iconic features with Internet connections.

"That caused me the most angst," said City Manager Dave Kiff. "People identify [book] stacks with the library."

But officials analyzed how its patrons use the branches and found that most come for a quiet place to study, to plug their laptops into work spaces and to use the Internet-connected computers. Few of them actually remove books from the shelves.

That's especially the case at the Balboa branch, said Cynthia Cowell, library services director.

"They come specifically to use the computers," she said. "We have a lot of electronic use of the library, and it's getting bigger all the time."

The new facility would have a 2,200-square-foot "Internet library" room with a central fireplace and a kiosk where patrons could order books to borrow using an online system. Some seats and tables would look out onto the bay.

Buidling Design Team of One?

Excerpt: Design flaws are responsible for consistently high heating and cooling bills for the Waukee Public Library, a City Council member said Monday.

"We didn't have a mechanical engineer, and we let an architect design the system," said Councilman Mike Watts, who was heavily involved with the project when ground was broken for the library during the spring of 2002. "It really wasn't done right back then."

The situation is bad for patrons, too: Library Director Maryann Mori said some have complained about the low temperatures.

"One woman said she had to wear gloves and a coat" in a study room, Mori said.

City officials agreed that improvements in the library's heating and cooling system are necessary, but they were not impressed with a proposed solution.

Facebook Page and Blog Worth Checking Out: People of Boston for a Better Library

LINK

Maximizing Value to the Community

LINK

133 US cities now have their own broadband networks. (3/23/2011)

Excerpt: More than 130 US cities now operate such publicly owned broadband networks, according a comprehensive new map developed by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR). The group compiled what it calls the first-ever such list of 54 city-wide fiber networks and 79 city-wide cable networks "whose objective is to maximize value to the community in which they are located rather than to distant stockholders and corporate executives."

Statistical Abstract of the United States: A Contrarian View

The end of the Statistical Abstract of the United States? (Flowing Data, 3/24/2011)

Excerpt: The sense that I get from library science blogs is one of disbelief, but I'm not so sure that the move is that surprising. Government data has been growing more accessible via outlets like Data.gov and even via Census itself, and while they still need work, the Abstract still feels dated in comparison.

I've played with the data a little bit, and it's all available in lots of tables in Excel and PDF formats. Keep in mind this isn't the Statistical Atlas [from 1870; and this applicable because......], so it's not graphics or maps. It's straight up tables, and as Infochimps notes in their entries from the Abstract:

Related post:
In the top 10 of each of my "Top 40 Ready Reference Titles". (3/22/2011)

RG Tables It: Wisconsin 2010 Census (Part 1)

Link to 2010 Wisconsin census data.

Apparently, Marquette County is colored lilac in error. Its population grew by 5.8%.

Counties with biggest percentage gains in

Counties that lost

New BadgerLink Handout

BadgerLink promotion and branding.

Rep. Cory Mason to DOA Secretary Mike Huebsch: Remove the Metal Detectors, Open All Doors to the Capitol

Add your voice. Call (608) 266-1741 and leave a message with Secretary Huebsch.

When will the metal detectors be removed and all of the doors to the Capitol be reopened?

Boston Public Library Budget Would Keep All 26 Branches Open

Library board OK’s $39.34m budget. (Boston Globe, 3/24/2011)

The Boston Public Library’s board of trustees approved a budget yesterday that would keep all 26 branches open, but shutter the central location in Copley Square on Sundays. Trustees voted 4 to 2 to accept the $39.34 million spending plan. It must still be approved by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City Council. Changes could also come from the state, which funds the library and has not finalized its own budget. The spending plan would avert layoffs and keep doors open at four branches that had been slated to close last year, a proposal the Menino administration abandoned in the face of neighborhood opposition.

As stated above, Mayor Thomas Merino must still approve the library board's budget, and he has gone on record as saying, "I believe we have too many branches."

Stay tuned.

Related articles:
Library to host budget roundtables. (1/14/2011)
Boston Mayor: "I believe we have too many branches." (1/11/2011)
$350,000 in State Funding Keeps 4 Boston Public Library Branches Open Thru June. (1/5/2011)
Residents fight to keep 4 neighborhood branches open. (10/26/2010)
Editorial takes library officials to task. (9/11/2010)
BPL on the ropes. (7/1/2010)
Four library branch closings delayed. (6/22/2010)
Boston Magazine profiles Amy Ryan, Public Library President. (6/5/2010)
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)

Hedberg Public Library's 2011 Incredible Edible Book Challenge

LINK

The missing link.

Lodi Woman's Club Public Library Green Project

LINK

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Is Louisiana Losin' Louis?

La. library network threatened by cuts. (Baton Rouge Advocate, 3/22/2011)

Excerpt: From helping offer online search access at public libraries to supplying university physicists with obscure academic journals, nothing connects Louisiana research quite like “LOUIS,” college faculty say.

But the Louisiana Library Network, called LOUIS, is at risk and has no dedicated funding for the next fiscal year, which starts in July, because of ongoing budget cuts to the program that started last year.

Faculty from LSU, which houses LOUIS, and the University of New Orleans are taking a proactive step of sending resolutions Tuesday in support of LOUIS funding to the Louisiana Board of Regents and legislators on education committees.

“It (LOUIS) is not a really glitzy item … and it’s a little bit invisible,” said Kevin Cope, president of the LSU Faculty Senate that approved the resolution last week.

LOUIS is not a “luxury service” for insular faculty researchers, Cope said. Rather, the network is a critical backbone of higher education and libraries that results in the savings of more than $15 million annually by sharing valuable resources, he said.

Prattville Calling

Church steps up to help with computer lab needs. Hardship at local libraries was impetus for CLASH. (Montgomery Advertiser, 3/8/2011)

Excerpt: One organization that has stepped up to assist local libraries in these trying times is Messiah Church, which is located in the Elmore County portion of Prattville.

"Messiah Church has recently launched a new community ministry called CLASH," said Pastor Doug Davis. "CLASH is an acronym for Computer Lab And Study Hall. Our ministry focus is to find ways in which we can be a service and support to the community."

Branch Library Scheduled to Close on April 1 (No foolin' at this point)

DeKalb library to close April 1. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/17/2011)

Excerpt: Twelve-year-old Sekondi Landry has spent the past two days walking up and down Candler Road, collecting signatures to save the DeKalb County library he goes to every day.

Landry said he didn't know the Scott Candler Library was closing at the end of the month and he wants to stop it.

County commissioners said they didn't know the library was closing either, despite voting to cut $3 million from the library system’s budget this year.

Interim County Library Director Alison Weissinger said there is no option: on April 1, the library on McAfee Road will close and many of the other 22 county branches will see reductions in hours.

In light of paragraph 3, I'd say it's time for the DeKalb County Commissioners to take responsibility for their actions.

Follow-up development: Residents working to save DeKalb library. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/21/2011)

Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau Memo: Distribution of General Transportation Aid Under the Governor's 2011-13 Budget

This memorandum provides information on the provisions in the Governor's 2011-13
biennial budget bill (SB 27/AB 40) related to the general transportation aid program. The bill would reduce total funding for making calendar year 2012 payments by $10,441,700 for counties and by $32,850,700 for municipalities.

Related posts:
Distribution of county and municipal aid. (3/15/2011)
Potential retirement savings for public employers under 2011 Wisconsin Act 10. (3/15/2011)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Bemidji Public Library Policy Review

LINK

Bemidji Public Library discusses behavior, unattended children policies. (Bemidji Pioneer, 3/17/2011)

Excerpt: In his report to the board, Ericsson recounted a four-day period in which the police had to be called four times for help with public drunkenness, heated arguments and reports of assault.

Patrons also reported “aggressive panhandling” on the front sidewalk. Ericsson said those who declined to give money to panhandlers were “verbally accosted.”

Some comfortable seating and study tables have been removed from areas of the building that could not be seen clearly by staff, which reduced the problems. However, this also means responsible patrons no longer have a quiet reading space.

Ericsson has addressed the Bemidji City Council to explain the problem of disruptive behavior.

“Bringing it up at the last council meeting was very, very helpful,” said Mayor Dave Larson, who attended the library board meeting. “People are becoming aware of this situation. It’s unacceptable.”

Ericsson said he wanted to “let people know that the library has been dealing with this and will continue to deal with it.”

Teen Craft Events @ the San Antonio Public Library

Crafting clubs can appeal to teens' creative side. (San Antonio Express News, 3/22/2011)

Excerpt: Persuading teens to step away from their laptops, iPods and gaming consoles can be difficult. But crafts can be a way to get them to slow down and express themselves.

"It doesn't matter if you're creative or not — you do what you like to do," says 17-year-old Erika Maldonado, who attends many of the same activities as Saenz. She gives some of her crafts to family and friends instead of buying gifts.

"That comes from the heart," she says. "I think that's something better."

Recent teen craft events at the San Antonio Public Library have included clay charms and bracelets from bubble-gum wrappers (an "eco-friendly fashion piece"). There's a scrapbooking session on Sundays for teens and adults.

Listening to what teens like Saenz and Maldonado want is what gets them to participate in crafts, says Jennifer Velasquez, coordinator of teen services at the library.

"Again and again, they want to make stuff that's personal to them," she says.

In the Top 10 of Each Edition of My "Top 40 Ready Reference Titles"

Definitely worth saving!

The online version

From the ALA Washington Office: Contact appropriators and tell them to oppose the defunding of the Statistical Compendia Branch!

In the coming weeks both the Senate (Herb Kohl is a member) and the House Appropriations committees will be working on the FY2012 budget. Please take the time to inform them about the importance of the Statistical Compendia Branch’s work.

When President Obama released his 2012 Budget Request to Congress, he included the U.S. Census Bureau’s Budget Estimates, which called for the termination of their Statistical Compendia Branch.

This branch compiles and releases such reports as the Statistical Abstract and the National Data Book that include usable data for the American public. As the Bureau’s own Budget Estimate states, “the abstract provides a comprehensive summary of industrial, social, economic, and political data…of almost 300 government, private, and international agencies”.

Message to Congress:

Continue funding for the Statistical Compendia Branch
The Statistical Compendia Branch compiles and releases important reports such as the Statistical Abstract and the National Data Book that provide understandable data to a wide swath of the American public.
This material is used by librarians, educators, students, private businesses, state and local government officials, etc.

There is no other existing location where this data can be found in a similar usable format.

(“Modestly” revised for LIS 635 Spring 2009)

Charlotte Mecklenburg Future of the Library Task Force Presents Final Report

Charlotte Mecklenburg libraries haven't seen such large-scale reductions since the Great Depression. (3/17/2010)

Charlotte Mecklenburg libraries haven't seen such large-scale reductions since the Great Depression. (3/17/2010)