Retiring Guy's Digest: 2011-10-16

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Ebooks in U.S. Public LIbraries

LINK

Public libraries journey into unmapped e-book territory. (Boston Globe, 10/20/2011)

Excerpt: The Minuteman Library Network, which serves 42 libraries in communities west of Boston, has doubled its e-book budget to $200,000 in the past year, said Kate Tranquada, director of the Waltham Public Library, which has tripled its local budget for downloadable books to $10,000 this year.

The spending by libraries is taking place as the weak economy and other pressures have driven bookstores, both national chains and local independents, to close in communities such as Belmont, Brookline, and Lexington in recent years.

But local librarians say their institutions have been evolving for the last two decades, and now host community events such as art shows and lectures while also trying to meet growing demand for study space and wireless Internet access.

“As a place, it’s got a lot more purposes than just what the bookstores do,’’ said Tranquada.

#OWS #tentlibraries

Occupying Boston and Beyond, With Tent Libraries for All. (The New York Times, 10/22/2011)

Excerpt: This city, home to the nation’s first major public library, has a new and somewhat grittier reading nook. Housed in a green military tent, the library at the Occupy Boston encampment in Dewey Square is overflowing with scholarly tomes that have no due dates or late fees.

The growing collection includes more than 500 books, sorted by genre — consumerism, gender, activism/organizing — and overseen by a bookstore owner and a number of librarians supporting the movement, including some from the Boston Radical Reference Collective. The library has a simple checkout system, an expanding archive of Occupy Boston’s meeting notes and proposals, and a nascent program of speakers and writing workshops.

John Ford, who temporarily shuttered his Metacomet alternative bookstore in Plymouth, Mass., to run the tent library, said it was intended to help protesters learn about systems they find frustrating and explore possible alternatives.

The Occupy Wall Street Library, (The New Yorker, 9/29/2011)

LINK

Brooklyn Public Library: The True Story of Agatha Cunningham

Summary: On October 28, 1977 Agatha Ann Cunningham went missing during her kindergarten call trip to the Brooklyn Public Library. She was never found. The legend says that her ghost haunts the lower level decks of the Central Library. A team of teen investigators go to uncover the truth.

Teen Space Reveal @ the Prosser Public Library

Prosser Public Library, Bloomfield, Connecticut.

The Anchorage Public Library

Friday, October 21, 2011

Position Available: Director, Brodhead Memorial Public Library

The City of Brodhead, Wisconsin (Green County), a community with a population of over 3,000, seeks a Library Director responsible for all aspects of library administration. We have an outstanding new library facility that opened in 2009 with approximately 15,000 square feet. The Brodhead Memorial Public Library has an operating budget of $254,230 and is a member of the South Central Library System and its shared Integrated Library System (ILS), LINKcat (Koha).

The candidate must possess outstanding interpersonal skills, demonstrate leadership ability, a strong attention to detail and have excellent organizational and problem solving skills. Ideal candidates must enjoy developing new programs for area residents of all ages, training and managingstaff, marketing the library and its resources, developing partnerships with local schools and other organizations, maintaining the library’s collection and advocating to the municipality and other stakeholders. The ability to develop effective working relationships with the community, Library Board, staff and patrons is essential. Additional responsibilities include planning and formulating library policies, budgeting and advising the Library Board and Friends of the Library along with computer and technology experience and competency, and supervisory skills.

Candidates must be eligible for Grade 2 Wisconsin Public Library Certification, experience preferred. Additional library courses and continuing education arerequired to maintain certification.

For full consideration please submit by November 14th, 2011: a cover letter, resume and references to:

Brodhead Memorial Public Library
Kirsten Novy, Library Board President
1207 25th Street
Brodhead,WI 53520

Or email your cover letter, resume and references to knovylms@gmail.com

A job description may be obtained at the Brodhead Memorial Public Library oremailing a request.

Friends of the Salt Lake City Public Library to Administration: "Our faith and trust are shattered"

Salt Lake City Library could lose a key funding ally. (Salt Lake Tribune, 10/20/2011)

Excerpt: Chaotic conditions and cratering morale at the Salt Lake City Library may next take their toll on patron services and public programs.

The influential Friends of the Library — an all-volunteer nonprofit that has raised $1 million for the library during the past decade — is threatening to pull its funding over continuing library controversies.

This “unprecedented” step may be necessary, the community group warned the Library Board on Thursday, because “for the first time in our [51-year] history, we are in crisis.”

“Today, the library is not the same as the one we agreed to support,” reads a letter from the Friends board and distributed to embattled Library Director Beth Elder along with the board.

“We are uneasy and leery of turning over our money earned from volunteer time to whoever happens to be in the finance department that day,” the letter says. “The Friends are spending as much time training and explaining our procedures to new staff as we are at raising the money. Our faith and trust are shattered.”

Related posts:
Hush money (alleged). (10/19/2011)
"Employee Engagement" poll @ the Salt Lake City Public Library. (10/19/2011)
Email, social media ukase @ the Salt Lake City Public Library. (10/19/2011)
Continued turmoil at library. (4/30/2011)
Unhappy employees air grievances. (3/15/2011)
'Boomeranging twist' at Salt Lake City Public Library. (1/18/2011)
Management shake-up at library. (1/3/2011)

States' Hands are Tied When It Comes to Corrections Budgets

...and throw away the key. (With apologies to Jay & the Americans, who are still performing.)

Growing prison populations hinder budget cuts. (USA Today, 10/20/2011)

Excerpt: The rising number of prisoners serving costly life terms across the country is complicating state officials' efforts to make dramatic cuts to large prison budgets, lawmakers and criminal justice officials said.

From 1984 to 2008, the number of offenders serving life terms quadrupled, from 34,000 to roughly 140,000, according to the most recent count by The Sentencing Project ["Throwing Away the Key"], which advocates alternatives to incarceration.

The Sentencing Project interactive map.

Sidebar: Death Penalty Information Center.

LINK

The Jack Russell Memorial Library, Hartford's "Community Living Room", Opens on October 24

Hartford begins new chapter with Jack Russell Memorial Library. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 10/20/2011)

Excerpt: The city's public library reopens Monday with a new name, Jack Russell Memorial Library, and a new location next to a historic mill pond on the Rubicon River.

Don't pay attention to the heavy machinery grading sand and gravel in preparation for paving parking lots, library director Mike Gelhausen said. He promised the library would be open for business Monday.

Inside, workers have been rolling in carts filled with books from the old library while others assemble rows of shelves or put texts in their designated places.

"We're getting things organized," Gelhausen said.

For the first time in its 107-year history, the library has its own building and can offer plenty of elbow room, Gelhausen said. It provides more than double the space and greater accessibility than its former location on the third floor of City Hall.

"We'd like this to be considered the community's living room," he said.

Congratulations to Mike Gelhausen, his staff and board, and the entire Hartford community.

It has INDEED been a long time coming!

Fond du Lac Public Library Goes Standalone on November 3

LINK

Catalog brings new services to FdL Library . Patrons will see increased access to resources on Nov. 3. (Fond du Lac Reporter, 10/21/2011)

Excerpt: The Fond du Lac Public Library, 32 Sheboygan St., is becoming an independent, standalone library — a change that aims to save more than $60,000 a year and provide improved service.

The library has been a member of the Winnefox Library System, but the Library Board earlier this year determined that the $103,000 annual Winnefox price tag was not providing good value to Fond du Lac taxpayers.

The process of separating the Fond du Lac Public Library's electronic catalog files from the Winnefox files has been under way for months and will culminate on Nov. 3 when the library will unveil two new catalogs.

A modernized and streamlined Fond du Lac materials catalog will allow local cardholders to view and reserve materials at any of the library's locations.

The catalog will offer expanded searching, looking not just in library materials but also through databases and online resources.

Related posts:
Fond du Lac leaves Winnefox Automated Library Services. (8/14/2011)
Touting a standalone system in a resource-sharing world. (7/26/2011)
ond du Lac shops around for a new system. (4/14/2011)
The Fond du Lac Public Library and a slightly misleading headline. (12/16/2010)
Fond du Lac County packing its library bags? (12/14/2010)

Wisconsin Sheds 8,400 Local Government Jobs in September but "Good Jobs Available Now on www.JobCenterofWisconsin.com"

From the 2011-12 Wisconsin Blue Book (page 728)

Biz Beat: State loses jobs again, including 8,400 in local government. (Capital Times, 10/20/2011)

Excerpt: The recession is impacting the number of government workers in Wisconsin as well as the private sector.

Figures released Thursday show the state losing 12,400 jobs in September, including 11,500 government positions with 8,400 of those at the local level.

The state lost an estimated 900 jobs among private-sector employers, including some 3,000 in the manufacturing sector. It marks the third consecutive month Wisconsin has lost private sector jobs after a strong hiring uptick in June.

Wisconsin's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate declined slightly to 7.8 percent, down 0.1 percent from August, according to preliminary figures from the Department of Workforce Development. [Page 1, with highlight, provided in screenshot below.]

2012 Letters About Literature Contest

LINK

How to enter

Great Escapes Travel Resource Center @ the Hedberg Public Library

Hedberg Public Library opens travel resource center. (Janesville Gazette, 10/19/2011)

Excerpt: Two months ago, travel materials were spread throughout Hedberg Public Library.

Today, they are housed in one area—the Great Escapes Travel Resource Center.

The new center is easy to spot: its bookshelves are decorated with globes, maps, postcards and suitcases housed in one of the library's half-dozen "neighborhood" sections.

"These are books that got lost in the regular sections of the library," said Carol Kuntzelman, head of technical services and collections manager.

To highlight the items, they were pulled from the far back corner of the library's collection and placed between adult fiction and nonfiction—behind do-it-yourself materials—where they are more visible and more easily accessible.

"This is a one-stop shop," Kuntzelman said.

The center features DVDs, books, travel guides and atlases containing information on area tourist sites, plus hotel and restaurant information. Travel magazines soon will be added, she said.

At Middleton in the early 1990s, we considered this idea after creating a Career and Education Center, primarily a collection of circulating and print reference materials that features college and scholarship information, resume guides, civil service practice tests, and other related topics. Unfortunately, it was never a project that made it to our top tier of priorities.

A view from the reference desk

(as it appeared in 2008)

End-of range guides

Bob Blitzke, Craig & Lea Culver to Receive South Central Library System Foundation's Cornerstone Award

LINK

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Will Facebook Timeline Initiate Another Round of Grumbling?

Facebook Changes Inspire More Grumbling. (The New York Times, 10/29/2011)

Excerpt: The new Facebook Timeline view is still in private testing; you, the public, won’t get to see it for a couple more weeks. For now, it’s optional. Eventually, it will replace your existing Profile page — thus the griping. But this time, change is good.

In essence, it’s a timeline of your life, depicted on a vertically scrolling page. Now is at the top; your birth is at the bottom. Facebook generates it automatically, using your recent news and life events to populate it; the farther back you go in time, the more Facebook condenses events. You can manually expand or compress various phases of your life, and you can manually add or remove events. (That’s fortunate. Otherwise, the entire period before you joined Facebook would be a big boring blank.)

Because the Timeline displays photos alongside the news and events of your life, it can eventually become a rich visual record of your life — or at least the parts you want to make public.

Now, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t see the appeal of Facebook in the first place — “Why on earth would I want to make the intimate details of my life public on the Internet!?” — then the Timeline will only amplify your bafflement.

Status Report on AB-302 and SB-212 from Michael Blumenfeld, WEMTA Lobbyist

LINK

AB-302 and SB-212 continue to move forward at the Capitol. This morning both bills were passed at the committee level and are now available for floor votes. And, AB-302 is on the proposed calendar for the Assembly’s floor session on Tuesday, October 25.

In the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care, Representative Peggy Krusick (D-Milwaukee) raised several concerns with the bill and voted against it. But, it passed 4-2 with all the Republicans in support (Representatives Dan Knodl, Germantown, Warren Petryk, Eleva, Karl Van Roy, Green Bay, and Kathleen Bernier, Chippewa Falls). Representative Elizabeth Coggs (D-Milwaukee) joined Krusick in voting against.

On the Senate side, the Committee on Public Health, Human Services and Revenue passed SB-212 on a 3-1 vote. Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) asked the Legislative attorney about the impact on the Common School Fund, but there was very little discussion. Senator Carpenter was the lone vote against, while Senator Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) joined two of the Republicans in favor (Senators Pam Galloway, Wausau, and Mary Lazich, New Berlin). Senator Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) was absent, but the vote was held open so her vote may be recorded.

This legislation, which will result in less money going into the Common School Fund, is obviously moving very quickly. Thanks to all of you for your work on this important issue.

Related posts:
AB-302 estimated impact on annual Common School Fund distributions. (10/19/2011)
Legislative alert. (10/19/2011)

to Michael.

Dinosaur Skeleton On Display At Verona Public Library

Link to Channel3000 website.

Link to Verona Public Library website.

to Brian.

Goddamn right you should!

About GTFTTL This site is not run by any corporate entity

or political group. Just me, a guy who likes books.

to Lynn.

Emanuel sez he's just doing what Bloomberg did. Weak.

Thanks for sharing, Lynn! I've added the Chicagoist to my RSS feeds.

Chicago Public Libraries Seek Support to Block Budget Cuts. (Chicagoist, 10/19/2011)

Excerpt: Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposed 2012 budget includes significant cuts for the Chicago Public Library system, and a group has started a letter-writing campaign to try to stop it. Save Chicago's Public Libraries and Librarian Jobs is encouraging their supporters to contact aldermen and the mayor's office. As of publication, the Facebook page had 687 fans:

ClickZ Presents "Digital Campaigns 101"

LINK

The Rise of Political Video Advertising. (ClickZ, 10/20/2011)

Excerpt: As media consumption patterns shift, TV could lose its place as the main forum for persuasive political ads. According to a September 2011 bipartisan study, 31 percent of all likely voters don't watch live TV. Instead, they watch programs on DVR during which they may skip through commercial breaks, or they watch TV programming online or in mobile environments.

The same is true of likely voters in important battleground states and demographic groups, said the study. The research was conducted by video ad firm Say Media and co-authored by Republican digital agency Targeted Victory and Democratic digital agency Chong and Koster, along with pollsters on both sides of the aisle. In Florida, 28 percent of likely voters surveyed said they don't watch live television. And in the state of Ohio, 38 percent of likely voters aren't consuming live TV.

By no means is political television advertising going away, but as video consumption accelerates, and audiences shift viewing habits, we can expect more political ad dollars to flow towards digital video.

The Typewriter. Not Dead Yet.

And Our Big Nut of the Day Award Goes to.......JIM DEMINT!!!

GOP Senator Pushes Radical Bill To Restrict Discussion Of Abortion Over The Internet. (Think Progress, 10/19/2011)

Excerpt: Instead of focusing on job creation, congressional Republicans have spent their time passing socially conservative legislation like the “Let Women Die” bill that would allow hospitals that receive federal funds to deny women life-saving abortion procedures.

Now Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), one of the most die-hard anti-choice lawmakers, has jumped on the bandwagon by sneaking a radical anti-abortion amendment onto a completely unrelated piece of legislation. DeMint’s amendment would ban women and their doctors from discussing abortion over the Internet:

[skip]

Under this amendment, women would need a separate, segregated Internet just for talking about abortion care with their doctors.

Waukesha Among Wisconsin Municipalities Considering a Garbage Fee

Waukesha considers new $136 user fee for waste. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 10/19/2011)

Excerpt: Waukesha aldermen are grappling with whether to hand homeowners a new $136 fee for garbage collection, recycling and large-item pickup next year, as Mayor Jeff Scrima is advocating, in order to maintain a politically appealing though not state-mandated tax levy freeze.

With some aldermen already publicly opposed to the fee, Finance Committee Chairman Joe Pieper wants his committee and other council members to give "a very good indication" of whether the fee will fly at the committee's 6:30 p.m. meeting Thursday.

Whether to charge user fees is the kind of question that municipal officials have faced before and will face again. For example:

In Franklin this week, a committee unanimously rejected Mayor Tom Taylor's proposal to move its garbage, recycling and leaf collection off the tax levy in exchange for a $104 fee to single-family homeowners, Finance Director Calvin Patterson said.

In West Bend, officials aren't looking for a new curbside collection fee, but a new $20 per year fee for residents dropping off garbage at the municipal collection site is advancing. The city's financial cause was helped with a new waste hauling contract that saves $200,000 by using larger carts and every-other-week pickup of recyclables, said City Administrator Dennis Melvin.

In Grafton, the Village Board just approved a $34.80 per dwelling recycling fee for next year, but garbage collection and leaf pickup are still on the tax levy, Village Administrator Darrell Hofland said.

Municipal fees have been trending upward in both the kinds of services financed with them and the amount charged, according to a 2010 Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance report.

Garbage, sewer and parking fees were primarily responsible for the increases, the report says.

Hudson Lawmaker has his Finger on Janesville's Pulse

Local lawmaker says: Let voters approve wheel tax. (River Falls Journal, 10/19/2011)

Excerpt: A state lawmaker wants voters to approve local vehicle taxes before cities and counties adopt them. Assembly Republican Dean Knudson of Hudson says voters have a right to be heard before their local governments slap “wheel taxes” on their autos.

Milwaukee, Beloit, Mayville, and St. Croix County charge $10-$20-dollars a year, on top of the $75 and more that vehicle owners pay to Madison. Sheboygan and Janesville are considering wheel taxes. Knudson expects more places to follow suit to get around the property-tax limits he helped pass in the new state budget.

Related posts:
Wheel tax proposed in Janesville. (10/12/2011)

Hey, don't look at me; that's what the Oshkosh Northwestern insinuates

Editorial: The voter fraud boogeyman is back. (Oshkosh Northwestern, 10/19/2011)

Score one for the Northwestern. Nothing wrong with this kind of thinking, although we doubt LeMahieu would be making the same pitch if Republican presidential candidates were routinely carrying Wisconsin.

And the closing zinger. LeMahieu conveniently ignores the fact that there is little evidence of voter fraud in Wisconsin, much less the kind of widespread fraud it would take to influence voting in a presidential election.

Republicans used the "voter fraud" cry to pass a vote-suppressing photo ID law and now apparently want to again shout "voter fraud" to get a change in how Electoral College votes are allocated.

Anyone see Chicken Little lately?

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Hush Money (Alleged) @ the Salt Lake City Public Library

Salt Lake City Library investigates ‘hush’ money allegation. (Salt Lake Tribune, 10/19/2011)

Excerpt: Watson, the past Library Employees Organization president, who represented about 250 workers, says he quit in July after losing all faith in Elder’s leadership. He also fingers Library Board members for “covering their eyes and plugging their ears” over the mismanagement.

“Every time any type of incongruity comes up between Beth’s decisions and policies and library procedures, they’ve had meetings quietly with her to figure out how they can change the rules,” Watson says. “And then they reveal it publicly later. I have no idea why the mayor and City Council are so adamantly behind her.”

The Mayor’s Office says it was surprised by the gag allegation and latest library unrest and first heard about it from a news report.

Related posts:
"Employee Engagement" poll @ the Salt Lake City Public Library. (10/19/2011)
Email, social media ukase @ the Salt Lake City Public Library. (10/19/2011)
Continued turmoil at library. (4/30/2011)
Unhappy employees air grievances. (3/15/2011)
'Boomeranging twist' at Salt Lake City Public Library. (1/18/2011)
Management shake-up at library. (1/3/2011)

In the Disney version of 1984, you know you're being watched

Disneyland workers answer to 'electronic whip', (Los Angeles Times, 10/19/2011)

Excerpt: In the basements of the Disneyland and Paradise Pier hotels in Anaheim, big flat-screen monitors hang from the walls in rooms where uniformed crews do laundry. The monitors are like scoreboards, with employees' work speeds compared to one another. Workers are listed by name, so their colleagues can see who is quickest at loading pillow cases, sheets and other items into a laundry machine.

It should come as no surprise that at the happiest place on Earth, not all the employees are smiling.

Isabel Barrera, a Disneyland Hotel laundry worker for eight years, began calling the new system the "electronic whip" when it was installed last year. The name has stuck.

AB 302 Estimated Impact on Annual Common School Fund Distributions

Related post:
WEMTA/WLA Legislative Alert re: AB-302 and Its Impact on the Common School Fund. (10/19/2011)

WEMTA/WLA Legislative Alert re: AB-302 and Its Impact on the Common School Fund

WEMTA/WLA Legislative Alert

Common School Fund Threatened

Introduced last Wednesday, AB-302 and its companion, SB-212, had a joint public hearing on Thursday, October 13 before both the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care and the Senate Committee on Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue.

The bill is very complex with many provisions, and legislators and many people working on the bill likely did not understand the effect on the Common School Fund..

However, on the morning of the hearing the Department of Health Services released its fiscal estimate for the bills that clearly indicates that they estimate it could cost the Common School Fund at least a $1.5 million per year.

Executive sessions on the bills are scheduled for Thursday, October 20

It is urgent that the members of the two committees listed below hear from the library community and its supporters regarding the proposal’s impact on the Common School Fund today!

Senate Committee on Public Health, Human Services and Revenue: Senators Pam Galloway (R-Wausau), Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa), Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) and Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse).

Assembly Committee on Aging and Long Term Care: Representatives Dan Knodl (R-Germantown)also Menomonee Falls, Warren Petryk (R-Elva) Eau Claire area, Karl Van Roy (R-Green Bay), Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls), Peggy Krusick (D-Milwaukee) and Elizabeth Coggs (D-Milwaukee).

Although the legislation is complex, our message is simple—

We respectfully request that AB-302 and SB-212 be amended to require that all fine and forfeiture proceeds collected thereto be deposited into the Common School Fund.

You could briefly explain how vital the Common School Fund is to school library funding in your community and mention that the Common School Fund is a segregated fund established by the Wisconsin Constitution.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS BY PHONE: Call the legislative hotline toll-free at 1-800-362-WISC (9472) (266-9960 in the Madison area) to leave a message for a legislator. This hotline can also tell you who your State Representative and/or State Senator is.

BY E-MAIL or PHONE: Visit http://www.legis.state.wi.us/ and click on "Who Represents Me?" After entering your address, your representative and senator will appear along with a phone number or link to email them. If you send e-mail, include your name and mailing address in the body of the message, or your concerns may not be recorded. Generally, legislators' e-mail addresses use the following format:
Rep.Lastname@legis.state.wi.us (example: Rep.Jones@legis.state.wi.us)
Sen.Lastname@legis.state.wi.us (example: Sen.Smith@legis.state.wi.us)

Legislative Alert Regarding AB-302 and Comnon School Fund

WEMTA/WLA Legislative Alert

Common School Fund Threatened

City and County Governments Have Cut 535,000 Positions Since September 2008

Better able? Less able? What color is your local government? (Table found on page 2 of NLC Research Brief.)

Budget cuts claim hundreds of thousands of county, city jobs. (USA Today, 10/17/2011)

Excerpt: Local governments, once a steady source of employment in tough economic times, are shedding jobs in unprecedented numbers, and heavy payroll losses are expected to persist into next year.

The job cuts by city and county governments are helping offset modest private-sector employment gains, restraining broader job growth.

"They'll continue to be a drag on the overall (employment) numbers and the economy," says Wells Fargo economist Mark Vitner.

Localities have chopped 535,000 positions since September 2008 to close massive budget deficits resulting largely from sharp declines in property tax receipts. That exceeds the 413,000 local government jobs cut from 1980 to 1983, the only other substantial reduction in local government employment, according to federal records that go back to 1955.

Christopher Hoene, research director for the National League of Cities, estimates an additional 265,000 or so jobs could be eliminated by the end of 2012.

News release and link to full report.

"Employee Engagement" Poll @ the Salt Lake City Public Library

Survey shows pride in SLC library, distrust in director. (Salt Lake Tribune, 10/18/2011)

Excerpt: Commissioned by Salt Lake City Library officials to gauge employee morale and trust in management, a new survey reveals high levels of job satisfaction but little faith in Director Beth Elder.

On a scale of 1 to 7, overall pride in working for the library scored a 5.7. Nearly three-quarters of employee respondents said they know and understand the library’s strategy and mission. Satisfaction with benefits notched a 5.9. And staffers, weighing in with a 5, deem the library a good place to work.

The "employee engagement" poll, conducted by Riverton-based Lighthouse Research, queried 87 percent of library employees and carried a 3.4 percent margin of error.

"The results tell a story about the Salt Lake City Library of today," Elder said in a statement. "We want to build on the positive attributes of our organization, and this survey has helped us identify where we can improve as we become the library our community will need tomorrow."

On average, librarians gave a 5.7 rating to their overall satisfaction with their supervisors. And employees gave a 5.8 to whether their immediate supervisor encourages open and honest communication.

The results on Elder and her "Executive Leadership Team" paint a darker portrait. Employees gave them a 2.6 on open and honest communication, along with a 3 on caring about staff and volunteers. [Bold added.]

Related posts:
Email, social media ukase @ the Salt Lake City Public Library. (10/19/2011)
Continued turmoil at library. (4/30/2011)
Unhappy employees air grievances. (3/15/2011)
'Boomeranging twist' at Salt Lake City Public Library. (1/18/2011)
Management shake-up at library. (1/3/2011)

Email, Social Media Ukase @ the Salt Lake City Public Library

That would be sense 2 of the word.

Haven't been able to access the library's webpage this morning.

Clampdown on free speech at Salt Lake City Library? (Salt Lake Tribune, 10/18/2011)

Excerpt: A just-launched crackdown on any opinionated email — and on criticism of management expressed via social media — has some veteran librarians fearing for their jobs and a chorus of others crying censorship.

Now, for the first time since controversy enveloped Director Beth Elder last year, the library’s nonprofit fundraising arm, Friends of the Library [ditto with the access thing], is openly questioning the library’s direction and its “chronic problems.”

In recent days, the past president of the Utah Library Association was placed on administrative leave for challenging new restrictions placed on all-staff email. Another librarian was forced to delete a Facebook post critical of Elder. Others were scolded in private meetings called by Elder’s administrative team.

And, according to several sources at the award-winning library, supervisors have told staffers they will sift through individual email accounts to look for any proof of insubordination and any criticism of library leadership or its policies.

Related posts:
Continued turmoil at library. (4/30/2011)
Unhappy employees air grievances. (3/15/2011)
'Boomeranging twist' at Salt Lake City Public Library. (1/18/2011)
Management shake-up at library. (1/3/2011)

Desperate Times Require Desperate Measures

Hackettstown man charged with burglary after library break-in. (Warren Reporter, 10/18/2011)

Excerpt: Hackettstown police responded at about 9 a.m. to a report of a burglary at the library on 110 Church St., police said. When the officers arrived at the library they were told that the door to the library was unlocked and the safe was missing, according to police. Sherman allegedly entered the library without permission, removed and damaged the safe, which contained approximately $217 in cash, police said.

...allegedly entered the library without permission?

New Haven Free Public Library Restores Saturday Hours @ Branches

New Haven restores Saturday library branch hours. (New Haven Register, 9/28/2011)

Excerpt: The city where officials stress the importance of building strong neighborhoods and academic success has taken a concrete step to that end by restoring Saturday library hours at all the branches.

Those sacred Saturday hours, when families are likely to use the library together because parents have the day off work and students have a full day to research a school project, were cut after February’s budget crisis.

Saturday branch hours had to be cut because of layoffs that left the library system short of workers, officials said.

But there was a polite yet driving uprising among the library crowd, and the mayor and Board of Aldermen responded by restoring funds, said New Haven Free Public Library Executive Director Christopher Korenowsky.

Ebooks, Netflix, and Library Building Projects (Part 114, Albany Branch, Hartford Public Library)

Hartford Public Library Opens New Albany Avenue Branch. (Hartford Courant, 10/18/2011)

Excerpt: The new library — more than twice the size of the soon-to-be-demolished old branch next door — features a brick and metal exterior and fresh landscaping. Inside, the stacks are almost filled with the books, magazines, CDs and DVDs moved over from the old branch when it closed Oct. 1.

Branch Manager Corey Fleming said Monday that regular visitors won't see an immediate difference in the available materials, but they will notice how much more space there is, including a dedicated children's section, a larger study area, more computers and a separate community room.

Shawano Does the Garbage Fee Math: 2,950 X $100

$100 garbage fee would plug city deficit. Fee could be added to property owners' tax bills. (Shawano Leader, 10/19/2011)

Excerpt: Shawano property owners would pay $100 a year for garbage collection under a proposal that would keep the city in the sanitation business and plug the hole in next year's projected budget deficit.

The city Finance Committee held a lengthy, number-crunching session Tuesday aimed at weighing whether the city should continue garbage collection or privatize the service. Committee members concluded the best route may be to maintain the city service and charge a fee.

The idea will get further discussion by the Finance Committee on Nov. 7 before it goes to the Common Council on Nov. 9 if ultimately recommended.

Public Works Director Rick Stautz said it costs the city about $100 each year to pick up garbage and recycling at each of the city's 2,950 stops.

It is also the amount the Finance Committee has known for some time would be needed from each property owner to plug the city's expected $270,000 deficit in 2012, according to Alderman Bob Kurkiewicz.

Other Wisconsin county and municipal budget news.
Wisconsin Rapids: Proposed McMillan Library 2012 budget cut $63,221. (10/19/2011)
Racine mayor uses Packers analogy in budget address. (10/19/2011)
Manitowoc mayor cuts budget 10%. (10/18/2011)
Mayor proposes 5.1% cut to Fond du Lac Public Library funding. (10/17/2011)
Racine County executive explains the various tax levies. (10/16/2011)
Lake Geneva's 2012 budget dilemma. (10/15/2011)
Rhinelander has a bigger hold to fill due to budget error. (10/15/2011)
City of Ripon 2012 budget update. (10/15/2011)
Shawano city administrator: "Bleeding has stopped for the most part". (10/14/2011)
Retirements? Not worry, sez Sheboygan officials. (10/14/2011)
FEE-fi-fo-fum in Ashland. (10/14/2011)
Waupaca proposes no retiree access to city's health plan. (10/13/2011)
Mayville retains wheel tax. (10/13/2011)
Wheel tax proposed in Janesville. (10/12/2011)
City of Marshfield 2012 budget update. (10/12/2011)
City of Oshkosh 2012 budget update. (10/12/2011)
City of Fond du Lac to eliminate assessor's office. (10/12/2011)
Sheboygan officials no longer have the "headache" of maintenance of effort. (10/11/2011)
City of Waukesha considers annual garbage fee. (10/9/2011)
Brown County proposes cuts to employee benefits. (10/9/2011)
Library salaries focus of debate at Sussex-Lisbon budget discussion. (10/8/2011)
City of Delavan administrator requests all department reduce operating budgets by 8%. (10/8/2011)
Village of Waterford looks at across-the-board cuts. (10/8/2011)
Ripon city administrator on 2012 municipal budget. (10/8/2011)
4% cut to library funding in Appleton mayor's 2012 proposed budget. (10/8/2011)
McMillan library staff reorganization saves Wisconsin Rapids $45,075. (10/5/2011)
Budget reduction forces cuts in hours, positions @ the La Crosse Public Library. (10/3/2011)
Marathon County cuts employee benefits to balance 2012 budget. (10/3/2011)
City of Sheboygan 2012 proposed budget. (10/3/2011)
2012 Brown County Public Library proposed budget. (10/1/2011)
1.2% of Janesville residents get to wag the dog. (9/30/2011)
Beloit Public Library proposed 2012 budget. (9/30/2011)
Shawano City-County Library receives $13,000 cut (3%) in county funding. (9/28/2011)
City of Rhinelander looking at a $200,000 decrease in revenue for 2012. (9/27/2011)
Mayor Barrett's proposed 2012 budget increases hours, expands 3 educational initiatives @ the Milwaukee Public Library. (9/26/2011)
Janesville: Slight decrease in 2012 Hedberg Public Library budget. (9/25/2011)
Fond du Lac faces $1.7 million deficit. (9/23/2011)
McFarland wrestles with 2012 budget.. (9/22/2011)
Beloit to make deep cuts to police, fire departments. (9/22/2011)
Wisconsin Rapids 2012 budget process underway. (9/22/2011)
Oshkosh 2012 budget deficit projected to balloon to as much as $2.3 million. (9/20/2011)
Facing $2.5 million shortfall, La Crosse considers a variety of fees. (9/14/2011)
100 show up at Dodgeville budget hearing. (9/12/2011)
Zero percent increase for Prairie du Sac department budgets. (9/7/2011)
City of Ashland looks at projected shortfall of $329,000 in 2012 budget. (8/26/2011)
Dodgeville city council to hold listening session on 2012 budget. (8/26/2011)
Shawano budget deficit at $504,800. (8/25/2011)
City of Ripon facing $110,000 budget deficit for 2012. (8/25/2011)
Long list of cuts on table for Racine city services. (8/25/2011)
Dodge County Administrator: "Governor Walker does not speak for Dodge County". (8/25/2011)
Longevity bonuses in Portage might become a thing of the past. (8/24/2011)
Declining property values pose a challenge to Columbus budget development. (8/24/2011)
Whitewater council looks at 0% tax levy increase. (8/24/2011)
Janesville residents asked to make tough choices in online budget scorecard. (8/24/2011)
Village of Darien officials ask for input on 2012 budget. (8/24/2011)
City of Marshfield has some wiggle room in its 2012 budget development. (8/24/2011)
Soglin on 2012 Madison budget: "Every service we rely on is vulnerable". (8/23/2011)
With a ballooning budget deficit, Marathon County considers a tax increase. (8/23/2011)
Sheboygan's Strategic Fiscal Planning Committee to determine what city will look like. (8/19/2011)
Brown County Exec looks at same tax levy, impact on services to be determined. (8/18/2011)
City of Shawano wrestles with $128,000 deficit. (8/16/2011)
Possible double whammy for Shawano City-County Library. (8/15/2011)
Portage County Executive looks to "create a bridge to a new design, a way of functioning on less".. (8/15/2011)
Antigo cuts fire, police positions. (8/15/2011)
Adding up the budget numbers in the Fox Valley. (8/14/2011)
Sauk County officials ask for input. (8/12/2011
Marathon County ranks services to address $500,000 budget shortfall. (8/12/2011)
City of Beloit faces a challenging budget process. (8/8/2011)
Fond du Lac city manager sez Governor's tools not enough to offset cuts. (8/2/2011)
Manitowoc mayor asks department heads for 10% budget cuts. (8/2/2011)