Funny thing. His website is unavailable.
What you'd find yesterday.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Robert Redford's Weekly Visits to the Santa Monica Public Library
Book review: 'Robert Redford: The Biography' by Michael Feeney Callan. (Los Angeles Times, 5/15/2011)
Excerpt: From his difficult birth as a blue baby in a Santa Monica hospital until he left for the University of Colorado on a baseball scholarship, Redford lived most of his life in Southern California. His father took the family on weekly outings to the Santa Monica Public Library, where young "Charlie" devoured Greek mythology. His mother squired her son to the Aero for an arguably formative 23 viewings of "Bambi," until John Garfield displaced Thumper in his affections.
Ebooks, Netflix, and Library Building Projects (Part 37, Crown Point Community Library)
Groundbreaking Ceremony planned for the new Crown Point Community Library. (Lake County News, 5/17/2011)
Excerpt: The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Crown Point Community Library is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1.
The new library is located at the entrance of Crown Point's historic downtown area, on the corner of Main Street and Robinson Court. The official address is 122 N. Main Street.
The new 46,750 square-foot facility, scheduled to open in January, 2013, will feature a children's program room, large community meeting rooms, teen space, WiFi, study rooms, quiet reading areas, an internet cafe, outdoor activity spaces and adequate space for library events, technology and for expanding the library.
New Jersey's Cumberland County Library Avoids Closure (For Now)
Detroit Public Library U-Turn: No Branch Closures, No Layoffs
I'd like to dedicate this song to Jonathan Kinloch. (Keep reading.)
Library board: All branches will stay open, no layoffs. (Detroit News, 5/21/2011)
Excerpt: Residents of the east side's Osborn neighborhood were ready to rally next week to keep their Franklin Branch Library alive.
Now they are planning a celebration.
The Detroit Public Library Board of Commissioners decided Friday not to close any branches or lay off any more staff, one month after administrators recommended the closures of up to 18 of 23 branches and layoffs of 191 of 376 workers.
Franklin users are so ecstatic they plan on still gathering at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the library to celebrate, said Wayne Ramocan, the rally's organizer.
"It's a hub," said Ramocan, program coordinator for the non-profit Osborn Neighborhood Alliance. "It's not just about books. It's a community center. We still need to show our support."
Branch closure plans have dramatically changed since last month, and Friday they were discarded altogether after administrators withdrew their latest plan to close six branches.
No further action is needed. But several commissioners grilled administrators over how, just a month ago, officials thought the budget was so bleak.
"What in the hell happened," asked Jonathan C. Kinloch, the commission's vice president and an occasional contributor to a blog on detnews.com.
"How could this happen when we've been looking at these numbers since the beginning of the year? This makes us look like a bunch of clowns."
Related articles:
The next thing you know..... (5/20/2011)
My boss has a 2010 Buick LaCrosse.... (5/19/2011)
Detroit Public Library revised its math. (5/17/2011)
Detroit Public Library does the math....incorrectly. (5/14/2011)
Residents speak up against branch closings. (5/8/2011)
The library takes a page from the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. (5/7/2011)
The news just keeps getting worse. (5/6/2011)
The Detroit Public Library needs some good news (and this isn't it). (5/5/2011)
Rainy day fund keeps fewer branches from closing. (4/29/2011)
Proposal to close 18 of 23 Detroit branches sparks anger. (4/22/2011)
Few expenses spared in South Wing remodeling of library. (4/22/2011)
Downward spiral. (4/16/2011)
Library reduces staff by 20%. (3/4/2011)
Budget woes. (2/5/2011)
Library board: All branches will stay open, no layoffs. (Detroit News, 5/21/2011)
Excerpt: Residents of the east side's Osborn neighborhood were ready to rally next week to keep their Franklin Branch Library alive.
Now they are planning a celebration.
The Detroit Public Library Board of Commissioners decided Friday not to close any branches or lay off any more staff, one month after administrators recommended the closures of up to 18 of 23 branches and layoffs of 191 of 376 workers.
Franklin users are so ecstatic they plan on still gathering at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the library to celebrate, said Wayne Ramocan, the rally's organizer.
"It's a hub," said Ramocan, program coordinator for the non-profit Osborn Neighborhood Alliance. "It's not just about books. It's a community center. We still need to show our support."
Branch closure plans have dramatically changed since last month, and Friday they were discarded altogether after administrators withdrew their latest plan to close six branches.
No further action is needed. But several commissioners grilled administrators over how, just a month ago, officials thought the budget was so bleak.
"What in the hell happened," asked Jonathan C. Kinloch, the commission's vice president and an occasional contributor to a blog on detnews.com.
"How could this happen when we've been looking at these numbers since the beginning of the year? This makes us look like a bunch of clowns."
Related articles:
The next thing you know..... (5/20/2011)
My boss has a 2010 Buick LaCrosse.... (5/19/2011)
Detroit Public Library revised its math. (5/17/2011)
Detroit Public Library does the math....incorrectly. (5/14/2011)
Residents speak up against branch closings. (5/8/2011)
The library takes a page from the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. (5/7/2011)
The news just keeps getting worse. (5/6/2011)
The Detroit Public Library needs some good news (and this isn't it). (5/5/2011)
Rainy day fund keeps fewer branches from closing. (4/29/2011)
Proposal to close 18 of 23 Detroit branches sparks anger. (4/22/2011)
Few expenses spared in South Wing remodeling of library. (4/22/2011)
Downward spiral. (4/16/2011)
Library reduces staff by 20%. (3/4/2011)
Budget woes. (2/5/2011)
Countdown to Christ's Return (These folks, apparently, lost interest)
According to this group, at least from its masthead design, God must really have it in for government in general, and the U.S. federal government in particular.
Latest news: October 2, 2005.
Latest newsletter: November 26, 2006.
Friday, May 20, 2011
When You're Senate President. Representing a Safe District, and Sitting on a Pile of Cash, It's Easy to Be an Asshole
The Things You Learn on the Internet
Babysitter charged with giving pot-laced margarine to girl. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/20/2011)
Excerpt: The 12-year-old's mother called Upper Burrell police after discovering the drugs in a tub of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" in 22-year-old Stevie Hickey's freezer. The woman tells police Ms. Hickey spread the substance on two pieces of toast that Ms. Hickey gave to the girl.
Police say Ms. Hickey told the girl it was "parsley butter" but later acknowledged to police that she learned to make the marijuana spread on the Internet. [Emphasis added.]
Time for a Google search..
Don't eat uncooked pot; it won't get you high. In order for your body to access the THC, weed needs to be cooked with a fat (butter or oil). Because fats pass through your stomach and don't begin to digest until they reach your small intestine, it takes at least an hour after ingestion before effects develop, and then two to five more hours for the high to peak. Eating pot results in a much longer high than smoking, and often the high comes and goes for several hours in unpredictable waves.
Illinois Public Library Board Sued Over Referendum Campaign
Activist Rob Sherman sues Indian Trails Public Library over referendum campaign. (Chicago Tribune, 5/18/2011)
Excerpt: A lawsuit filed Wednesday seeks to overturn the results of a suburban library referendum on the grounds that library officials illegally advocated for its approval.
Well-known Buffalo Grove activist Rob Sherman is among five people who sued Indian Trails Public Library, saying library officials' efforts to acquaint voters with the April ballot initiative went beyond merely providing information and spilled into advocacy, which is a violation of state election law.
Voters in the Wheeling-based library district narrowly approved the tax rate referendum, which officials had said would have a nominal impact on property taxes.
Sherman and the other plaintiffs say the library improperly spent thousands of dollars to promote the referendum's passage with, among other tactics, campaign literature that touted, "Grow your library, not your tax bill."
Philadelphia's Freedom Rings Partnership
Working to narrow Phila.'s digital divide. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/17/2011)
Excerpt: Sadly, too many people are left behind because they remain disconnected. The digital divide is widening within some circles, and you're more likely to be on the wrong side of the chasm based on your economic condition rather than the complexion of your skin. The bottom line is that if you're trying to figure out where your next meal is coming from, you're not going to be spending a lot of time on a smartphone, laptop, or iPad that you can't afford.
The good news is that Philadelphia is one of the cities leading the country in addressing this inequity. More than seven years ago, Philadelphia was ahead of the curve when it announced plans to make the city the nation's largest hot spot.
That ambitious plan fell short of its goal, but it nonetheless set the city up to be awarded federal dollars last year to establish the "Freedom Rings Partnership," a multiyear initiative to bring Internet access, training, and technology to residents in underserved communities. Led by the Urban Affairs Coalition and the City of Philadelphia's Division of Technology, with Drexel University as a major partner, the program seeks to connect more than 100,000 low-income Philadelphians over the next two years, particularly children, the under- and unemployed, and seniors. The plan includes setting up hubs at more than 130 locations citywide, including 77 public computer centers, as well as deploying four mobile computer labs that will travel throughout the city this spring and summer to provide Internet access and training.
Technology is only as powerful as the hands trained to use it.
Full list of partners.
Albany Public Library: If at first you don't succeed.....
Albany library budget back to voters. (Albany Times-Union, 5/20/2011)
Excerpt: Albany Public Library trustees will ask voters for a second chance.
Two days after residents rejected the library's $9.56 million proposed 2012 budget, which would have come with a 25 percent property tax increase, the board of trustees agreed Thursday to seek a second vote on what will likely be a reduced spending plan.
But what that budget will look like is not yet clear.
And while the exact date has not been set, the vote will likely take place the week of July 12, giving trustees until next week to pare down the spending plan while also meeting a 45-day voter-notification requirement and the need to have the library's tax levy -- or the amount of the budget that comes from taxes -- settled by mid-July.
Related articles.
Budget fails by 28 votes in unofficial tally. (5/18/2011)
Library budget goes to voters. (5/16/2011)
Detroit Public Library: Next thing you know they'll find $100 bills in the pages of books
Detroit library heads off closures. (Detroit News, 5/20/2011)
Excerpt: A month ago, Detroit Public Library officials warned finances were so bleak they may have to close up to 18 of its 23 branches and lay off most staffers.
The message today: Never mind.
In a dramatic about-face, the system's Chief Administrative Officer Tim Cromer now says he's going to recommend to library commissioners today that they don't need to lay off any staffers or close any branches this year.
Why the turnaround? More math problems.
Last week, officials scaled back the closure list after The Detroit News pointed out they misinterpreted tax collection estimates.
Now, Cromer acknowledged the library forgot to factor in savings from the loss of 70 staffers to layoffs and retirements this spring.
That saves the system $3 million, bringing payroll to $21.2 million for the upcoming budget year starting in July. The library's total budget is about $38 million.
Related articles:
My boss has a 2010 Buick LaCrosse.... (5/19/2011)
Detroit Public Library revised its math. (5/17/2011)
Detroit Public Library does the math....incorrectly. (5/14/2011)
Residents speak up against branch closings. (5/8/2011)
The library takes a page from the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. (5/7/2011)
The news just keeps getting worse. (5/6/2011)
The Detroit Public Library needs some good news (and this isn't it). (5/5/2011)
Rainy day fund keeps fewer branches from closing. (4/29/2011)
Proposal to close 18 of 23 Detroit branches sparks anger. (4/22/2011)
Few expenses spared in South Wing remodeling of library. (4/22/2011)
Downward spiral. (4/16/2011)
Library reduces staff by 20%. (3/4/2011)
Budget woes. (2/5/2011)
HedbergLibrarian Sets Greg Peck Straight
Do you use self-service checkout counters?. (Janesville Gazette, "Opinions Matter" column, 5/17/2011)
Excerpt: I stopped in at Hedberg on Monday and noticed that the checkout counter had been reduced in size. Two clerks remained, but one told me how, with the new arrangement, I could find the requested book on nearby shelves myself. The books are placed in order based on your last name and last four digits in your library card number.
She did help me find it, then asked me if I wanted to use a self-service checkout desk or have her help me.
“I’ll keep you employed,” I said, and I was glad she chuckled a bit at my comment.
That’s the thing—the more that customers use self-service checkouts at places such as Hedberg and grocery stores, the fewer employees they need. That might help hold down tax expenses at the library and prices at the grocery stores, but I don’t like to use them.
HedbergLibrarian comment on Beck's column: For the record, no jobs were lost when the library added our one additional self-check station. We've offered self-check for several years, but did recently upgrade to much friendlier technology, which more than 80% of our patrons now choose to use (no more waiting in lines to check out DVDs!) Our Full Service Checkout station continues to offer face-to-face, personalized service for those that prefer it. The new technology simply allows us to meet the growing needs of our patrons while freeing up staff to do other important, service-focused jobs like planning programs, getting items back on shelves and assisting patrons in finding materials.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Painful Collection Development Decision Solved
Instant collector's item
Excerpt: In a stunning development one day after the release of Where's the Birth Certificate? The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President, by Dr.5/18 Jerome Corsi, World Net Daily Editor and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Farah has announced plans to recall and pulp the entire 200,000 first printing run of the book, as well as announcing an offer to refund the purchase price to anyone who has already bought either a hard copy or electronic download of the book.
Related article:
A cataloging suggestion. (5/18/2011)
Fact Check: Jim Suchomel Gets It Wrong
The waffles at PolitiFact would likely deem it "Half True".
From Jim's letter to the DeForest News. (5/13/2011)
In the presidential primary two-and-a-half years ago, Hillary Clinton demanded Barack Obama to present his long-form birth certificate. It took Donald Trump about 3 weeks to get Obama to present it. Why did it take so long for Obama to present it?!
And so does this headline, strictly speaking: Birther Row Began With Hillary Clinton. (The Telegraph, 5/19/2011)
From Jim's letter to the DeForest News. (5/13/2011)
In the presidential primary two-and-a-half years ago, Hillary Clinton demanded Barack Obama to present his long-form birth certificate. It took Donald Trump about 3 weeks to get Obama to present it. Why did it take so long for Obama to present it?!
And so does this headline, strictly speaking: Birther Row Began With Hillary Clinton. (The Telegraph, 5/19/2011)
Excerpt: It was not until April 2008, at the height of the intensely bitter Democratic presidential primary process, that the touch paper was properly lit.
An anonymous email circulated by supporters of Mrs Clinton, Mr Obama’s main rival for the party’s nomination, thrust a new allegation into the national spotlight — that he had not been born in Hawaii
Finding Information: Life Skills, Not Just School Skills
Many CMS librarians losing jobs. (Charlotte Observer, 5/18/2011)
Excerpt: CMS last week sent pink slips to 739 teachers, counselors, media specialists and others on the teacher pay scale. Media specialists have contacted the Observer to say at least 20 schools will be left with no trained staff to tend the libraries.
The librarians say they are concerned not only about their jobs, but about the prospect of students losing trained faculty who can teach them how to navigate the waves of information coming at them in today's Web-centered world.
"These are life skills. They're not just school skills," said Shelley Worman, media specialist at Eastway Middle School. "They're skills you would use for everything from buying a car to planning a meal and cooking it to purchasing a house."
My boss has a 2010 Buick LaCrosse but all I got was this lousy layoff notice
Paper Chase: Library chiefs get top salaries amid layoffs. (Detroit News, 5/19/2011)
Excerpt: Employment contracts of the top three executives at the embattled Detroit Public Library show they draw some of the highest salaries and best benefits of public officials in the city.
Executive Director JoAnne Mondowney makes $156,000 a year, has a credit card for business expenses and gets her own car, a 2010 Buick LaCrosse that cost $31,184 and comes with OnStar and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
The library also will pay for work-related "travel expenses and entertainment expenses" for her and her spouse, according to the contract.
Mondowney's salary is the same as Police Chief Ralph Godbee and the city's Chief Operating Officer, Chris Brown. But she and other library leaders will take a 10 percent pay cut in July.
The two other top execs — Juliet Machie and Tim Cromer — have contracts directly with the library commission and can't be fired unless they are paid a year's salary, according to the documents. They each make $145,000.
Mondowney's car "doesn't sit well" among employees of the system that is set to lay off 82 of its 376 workers, said Todd Kelly, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1259 that represents clerks, janitors and security staffers.
"Sacrifice should start at the top," Kelly said.
Related articles:
Detroit Public Library revised its math. (5/17/2011)
Detroit Public Library does the math....incorrectly. (5/14/2011)
Residents speak up against branch closings. (5/8/2011)
The library takes a page from the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. (5/7/2011)
The news just keeps getting worse. (5/6/2011)
The Detroit Public Library needs some good news (and this isn't it). (5/5/2011)
Rainy day fund keeps fewer branches from closing. (4/29/2011)
Proposal to close 18 of 23 Detroit branches sparks anger. (4/22/2011)
Few expenses spared in South Wing remodeling of library. (4/22/2011)
Downward spiral. (4/16/2011)
Library reduces staff by 20%. (3/4/2011)
Budget woes. (2/5/2011)
Lester Public Library of Vesper Seeks Part-Time Director
The Lester Public Library of Vesper seeks a part-time director. The applicant selected will be responsible for all management tasks relating to the operation of a busy rural library.
The ideal candidate will have experience in a library setting using an automated system; knowledge of preparing and implementing a budget; ability to supervise a small staff; enjoy developing new programs for residents of all ages and be dependable and flexible. Salary depends on experience and certification. For more information, call the library at 715-569-4669 or email vespl@tds.net.
Candidates should submit resume (must include education) and credentials by June 15 to: Andrea Pecher, Library Board President, 6517 Cameron Ave., Vesper, WI 54489, or by email to napecher@tds.net.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
County Manager Recommends a $2 Million Increase to CML Budget
County Manager recommends $2 million in additional funding to help Library implement recommendations of Task Force in FY12. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library news release, 5/17/2011)
Excerpt: This budget represents Jones’ recommendations to the Mecklenburg BOCC [Board of County Commissioners]. The BOCC will review this budget in the coming weeks, and vote on the final budget at their June 7 meeting. If the manager’s recommendations on funding for the Library were approved by the BOCC, the $2 million will be added to the Library’s base funding level and would be used to begin implementation of the recommendations from the Future of the Library Task Force.
This funding would not restore Library hours to pre-recession levels of 1,521 per week, but would allow the Library to expand hours from the current 722 to approximately 824 per week. Hours would be expanded at the larger regional locations: Beatties Ford Road, Independence, Morrison, North County, South County and University City. Hours at Main, ImaginOn, and the smaller community locations would remain at their current levels.
Related articles:
Most chilling fact to consider here. (4/22/2011)
"Save our library" say Matthews residents. (4/1/2011)
Charlotte Observer survey: Can you find $2 million in this budget to give to Mecklenburg libraries? (3/25/2011)
Task Force presents final report. (3/22/2011)
Task Force to present report to joint meeting of Mecklenburg County Commission and Library Board. (3/19/2011)
Task force walks on eggshells. (3/17/2011)
Charlotte Mecklenburg 'Future of the Library Task Force' report to be aubmitted next week. (3/16/2011)
Recriminations? No. But you can't avoid the facts of the matter. (3/13/2011)
The battle of the branch libraries. (3/8/2011)
Survey influences Charlotte Mecklenburg's Future of the Library Task Force. (3/5/2011)
$7.50 per household per year to keep 6 branch libraries open? Sounds reasonable to me. (3/4/2011)
Up to 6 libraries could close under proposal. (3/2/2011)
Tuesday vote of Future of Library Task Force likely. (2/27/2011)
Future of the Library Task Force to release recommendations soon. (2/8/2011)
Banker to lead Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. (1/22/2011)
And what about the cost of a joint library-county study committee? (12/22/2010)
The future does not look bright. (12/9/2010)
Library boosts fines, fees. (11/23/2010)
CML libraries and parks: Survey says... (10/26/2010)
Future of the library task force. (10/21/2010)
Volunteers to the rescue. (10/17/2010)
Charlotte Observer to Harry Jones: Check your ego at the door. (9/21/2010)
County manager regrets hitting the 'send' key. (9/18/2010)
Library steering committee veers into off-road territory. (9/15/2010)
Bank of America and Carolina Panthers kick off library fundraising campaign. (9/14/2010)
Another branch extends hours thanks to volunteer support. (9/12/2010)
Volunteers step up. (9/10/2010)
2 branch libraries to open one more day per week. (9/5/2010)
Library urban legend in the making? (9/4/2010)
Library launches pilot program to expand hours with volunteers. (8/31/2010)
Group to study county library merger. (7/28/2010)
Book stores help out the library. (7/21/2010)
Libraries hope to expand hours with volunteers at 4 branches. (7/20/2010)
Another change in hours. (7/18/2010)
Matthews branch library sends out plea for volunteers. (7/13/2010)
Most county commissioners cool to sales tax hike. (7/9/2010)
New hours in effect. (7/6/2010)
Charlotte Observer editorial board laments the passing of the Novello Festival of the Book. (6/28/2010)
Shuttered branch could become Friends' used book store. (6/25/2010)
A reduced future. (6/23/2010)
Interlocal cooperation pact. (6/22/2010)
Three branches close. (6/19/2010)
Town of Mint Hill perspective. (6/18/2010)
Five towns tentatively OK $730,000 for libraries. (6/18/2010)
Carmel, two other branches to close. (6/16/2010)
Now that the ax has fallen. (6/16/2010)
Commissioners to vote on budget today. (6/15/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries: It's complicated. (6/9/2010)
Mayor wins straw vote at emotional council meeting. (6/7/2010)
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. (4/30/2010Library 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)
Dane to Waukesha: Two can play this game
Click here if you think Waukesha County is going to uncover 6,960 previously untallied Dem votes.
Nobody Knows If You're a Comedian on the Internet
Allendale area woman who posted eBay ad, trying to sell 2-year-old, says it was a joke. (Grand Rapids Press, 5/17/2011)
Excerpt: A 19-year-old who advertised her 2-year-old cousin for sale on eBay said the posting was nothing but a joke and she was surprised to find police took it seriously.
"Basically, all I was trying to do was see how eBay worked," said Autumn Braden, who has attended Grand Valley State University but is not a current student, school officials said. "I had a picture of (my cousin), so I just put it up there. It wasn't meant to be taken seriously."
Cue eyerolls, snorts of disbelief.
Albany Public Library Budget Fails by 28 Votes in Unofficial Tally
Albany library budget trails. (Albany Times-Union, 5/18/2011)
Excerpt: An aggressive public relations campaign may not have been enough to save the Albany Public Library budget from the wrath of tax-weary voters, who appeared to have narrowly rejected the proposed $9.56 million spending plan and its 25 percent tax increase Tuesday.
With all districts counted, the unofficial tally showed the budget failing by just 28 votes, 3,490 to 3,462. (or 49.8%)
But library officials said they were hopeful that a recanvass of the voting machines Wednesday morning might reveal errors that would save the budget and spare them from deciding whether to seek a re-vote or accept deep cuts to library hours and staff.
Related article.
Library budget goes to voters. (5/16/2011)
Name Recognition, for a Price, in Sheboygan
Ryan open to naming rights for City Hall. (Sheboygan Press, 5/13/2011)
Excerpt: Your name here? Mayor Bob Ryan says the city should revisit the idea of selling naming rights to municipal buildings, such as Sheboygan City Hall.
If you're a corporation looking to spend advertising dollars, Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan has some space for you.
"I'm not opposed to naming City Hall after someone, if they have the right amount of money," Ryan said.
The idea of selling naming rights for city buildings is gaining ground as municipalities struggle with tight budgets because of stagnant economic development and state limits on property tax increases.
Sheboygan is already one step ahead, having approved a measure in 2007 that allows the city to sell naming rights for its buildings, facilities and programs.
Related article:
Wausau considers naming rights as a way to generate revenue. (5/13/2011)
The "Mead" in Sheboygan's Mead Public Library.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Ebooks, Netflix, and Library Building Projects (Part 35, Denver Public Library)
Excerpt: [Mayor Guillermo] Vidal and [Councilwoman Jeanne] Robb made remarks about the renovations, which were funded by the Better Denver Bond Program.
They included interior building repairs, upgrades to the alarm and public address systems, several automated library self-checkout stations and the introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to library materials, the library said in a news release.
The third-floor reference area was redesigned, and there is a new fourth-floor technology center.
Also, funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act paid for the addition of public access computers and increased job search assistance.
A Library That Takes Its Community Activities Center Role Seriously
Pastor's wife has baby in H.B. library bathroom. (Orange County Register, 5/16/2011)
Excerpt: Jennifer Wagner thought she had time.
This being her fourth child, she knew the pains and sensations that came along with childbirth except for one: the feeling that came right before her baby was born in the bathroom at the Huntington Beach Central Library.
Wagner, 38, of Brea was attending Alive church on Sunday. Her husband, Jerod Wagner, is the church's pastor and the group meets in the Talbert room of the library.
Partway through the service, Wagner realized she was in labor.
"I thought I was having Braxton Hicks contractions," she said in an interview Monday. "I didn't want to tell my husband yet because I knew he had to preach still. It wasn't until halfway through the sermon I realized these were real contractions."
Titus Sebastian was born around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday with the help of two of Wagner's friends in the bathroom of the library. It was calm and quick and Titus and his mom are healthy and expected to go home tonight or Tuesday morning.
Thanks to cj Lewis, a distance education student in LIS 712 (The Public Library). She "adopted" the Huntington Beach Central Library for her semester-long field project.
August 2nd a "This Is It" Moment for the Troy Public Library
Troy voters to get chance to save library at polls. (Detroit News, 5/17/2011)
Excerpt: Voters will get one last chance to save the public library when they go to the polls this summer for a special election.
City Council voted 6-1 Monday night to add a five-year dedicated library millage request to the August 2 ballot for 0.7 mills to raise $3.1 million in the first year.
But almost $54,000 of the anticipated revenue is earmarked for local development financing and the downtown development and brownfield authorities, Mayor Louise Schilling said.
"We're trying to be very clear, so they won't come back to us and say 'you didn't tell us,'" Schilling said.
Owners of a $200,000 home would pay about $70 a year for the library.
Voters twice rejected millage requests in 2010 in February and November.
"If the millage doesn't pass in August, the library will close. This is it," Schilling said..
Related articles:
Working to keep the library open. (5/10/2011)
Will there be a library after June 30th? (4/20/2011)
Keep the Troy Public Library open: Council members told to 'figure it out'. (4/19/2011)
May Day! May Day! Two Michigan libraries set to close on May 1. (4/17/2011)
Library to close on May 1. (2/23/2011)
Troy Michigan (population: 80,000) still on track to close its library. (2/8/2011)
Voters wave bye-bye to their library. (11/3/2010)
Giving voters more choices than they need. (8/13/2010)
Library threatened with closure, part 2. (5/19/2010)
Library threatened with closure, part 1. (4/25/2010)
Ebooks, Netflix, and Library Building Projects (Part 33, Auburn Library)
Retiring Guy was born in Auburn, Washington. (Not to be confused with this Paul Everett Nelson.)
Auburn Library to close, make way for expansion, renovation. (Auburn Reporter, 5/9/2011)
Excerpt: King County residents supported a $172 million capital bond in September 2004 to pay for the Auburn Library project among other library expansions and renovations.
The expansion will add 5,000 square feet to the library, most noticeably in the form of a glass-paneled addition that will expand into a portion of the parking space on the east side of the building.
Among the other features will be:
• An expanded children's area.
• A new meeting room in the northeast corner of the addition, serving as a quiet space when it is not a meeting room. When there is not a gathering in the current meeting room, it will be closed, locked and unavailable. The new meeting room will feature sliding glass doors to make it a more interactive, multi-use space.
• The relocation of bathrooms to the west side of the building and an expanded entrance way and media area in the space the restrooms now occupy.
• A quiet study area that will significantly increase the amount of seating space.
• An automated material handling system that will let patrons check in their books and get a receipt for them.
• Additional spaces for laptops and additional laptops for check out. The library will keep the same amount of fixed computers.
Auburn Library to close, make way for expansion, renovation. (Auburn Reporter, 5/9/2011)
Excerpt: King County residents supported a $172 million capital bond in September 2004 to pay for the Auburn Library project among other library expansions and renovations.
The expansion will add 5,000 square feet to the library, most noticeably in the form of a glass-paneled addition that will expand into a portion of the parking space on the east side of the building.
Among the other features will be:
• An expanded children's area.
• A new meeting room in the northeast corner of the addition, serving as a quiet space when it is not a meeting room. When there is not a gathering in the current meeting room, it will be closed, locked and unavailable. The new meeting room will feature sliding glass doors to make it a more interactive, multi-use space.
• The relocation of bathrooms to the west side of the building and an expanded entrance way and media area in the space the restrooms now occupy.
• A quiet study area that will significantly increase the amount of seating space.
• An automated material handling system that will let patrons check in their books and get a receipt for them.
• Additional spaces for laptops and additional laptops for check out. The library will keep the same amount of fixed computers.
Ebooks, Netflix, and Library Building Projects (Part 32, Lacey Timberland Library)
Lacey Timberland Library to close for two-month, $223K renovation. (The Olympian, 5/10/2011)
Excerpt: But Jeffers and the approximately 1,500 people who visit the library daily will have to alter their plans for two months beginning May 23 as the library closes for a $223,500 facelift. The City of Lacey is kicking in $172,500, with remaining funds split between the Friends of the Library and the Timberland Regional Library.
Through July 25, most of the library will be off-limits as crews install new carpeting, replace lighting and paint the interior. The library, adjacent to Lacey City Hall, is marking its 20th birthday this summer, and the updates will create a warmer, brighter library, said Wade Duffy, city capital projects manager.
“It’s just going to make it look like brand-new again,” Duffy said. “It’s not beat up; it just needs a little touch up.” Library service won’t halt entirely during the remodeling.
Ebooks, Netflix, and Library Building Projects (Part 31, Sierra Madre Public Library)
At last night’s City Council meeting, Rotary President Cathy Hundshamer, surrounded by about a dozen other Rotarians, presented a check for $20,000 to Library Director Tony Buckner and Library Trustees Margaret Quigley and Pete Siberell to help fund the renovation and expansion of the Children’s Room at the Library, the first such upgrade in more than twenty years.
Among the many improvements called for in the project are the relocation of an emergency door that currently renders much of the room space unusable to a location that makes more efficient use of the room space, creation of a pre-school zone, a study reading area for students, more space for computers and technology, replacing windows with more energy efficient windows, updating paint, carpet and furniture. The project completion is scheduled for November, 2011.
Detroit Public Library Revises Its Math (23 - 6)
Detroit Public Library may close only 6 branches. (Detroit News, 5/17/2011)
Excerpt: The Detroit Public Library has scaled back its branch closure list to six of 23 branches, after The Detroit News reported last week officials based closures on faulty math.
Library Director Jo Anne Mondowney today recommended to a commission committee that officials close the following branches: Bowen, 3648 W. Vernor; Chandler Park, 16101 Grand River; Mark Twain, 4741 Iroquois; Richard, 9876 Grand River; Chase, 17731 W. Seven Mile; and Lincoln, 1221 E. Seven Mile.
Article published while committee meeting was still in session.
Related articles:
Detroit Public Library does the math....incorrectly. (5/14/2011)
Residents speak up against branch closings. (5/8/2011)
The library takes a page from the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. (5/7/2011)
The news just keeps getting worse. (5/6/2011)
The Detroit Public Library needs some good news (and this isn't it). (5/5/2011)
Rainy day fund keeps fewer branches from closing. (4/29/2011)
Proposal to close 18 of 23 Detroit branches sparks anger. (4/22/2011)
Few expenses spared in South Wing remodeling of library. (4/22/2011)
Downward spiral. (4/16/2011)
Library reduces staff by 20%. (3/4/2011)
Budget woes. (2/5/2011)
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