Articles Posted in Library News and Views

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April 29, 2009.

An e-publication of the American Library Association (ALA)

HIGHLIGHTS:

OCLC challenges ILS vendors In what clearly represents a challenge to the integrated library system industry, OCLC announced April 23 that it has created what it calls “the first web-scale cooperative library management service,” inviting member libraries to “take the first step to realizing this cooperative service model with a new, ‘quick start’ version of the OCLC WorldCat Local service.” The service expands WorldCat Local’s cataloging and discovery tools to include functions now performed in most libraries by a locally installed integrated library system. Andrew Pace, OCLC’s executive director for networked library services, explains why this service is a “sea change” in this exclusive interview….
American Libraries Online, Apr. 24
Groups submit comments in favor of access ALA, ACRL, and the Association for Research Libraries jointly submitted comments (PDF file) to the U.S. Copyright Office April 28 on the topic of facilitating access to copyrighted works for the blind or persons with other disabilities. The associations believe they should be afforded the same access to materials as sighted persons. Currently, only about 5% of published books are available in accessible formats for the visually impaired. Some materials are not available at all, particularly scholarly journals, research materials, professional resources, and local history materials….
District Dispatch, Apr. 28
Congress supports National Library Week The U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 336, a resolution in support of National Library Week, April 22. During the floor debate, Reps. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.), and Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) made statements highlighting the significant role libraries and librarians serve in communities across the country….
District Dispatch, Apr. 23 Continue reading

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Volume 2009, Issue 4 April 30, 2009

Published by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Government Relations Office

Through its Washington E-Bulletin, the AALL Government Relations Office keeps the AALL membership abreast of governmnt policy news important to law libraries and law law librarians.

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BY Philip Y. Blue, Senior Law Librarian New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library

In a move that could reshape the library automation landscape, OCLC has expanded WorldCat Locals existing cataloging and discovery tools with new circulation, delivery, and acquisitions features. This new project, which OCLC calls “the first Web-scale, cooperative library management service,” will ultimately bring into WorldCat Local the full complement of functions traditionally performed by a locally installed integrated library system (ILS).

Libraries that subscribe to FirstSearch WorldCat will get, for no additional charge, the WorldCat Local quick start service: a locally branded catalog interface and simple search box that presents localized search results for print and electronic content along with the ability to search the entire WorldCat database and other resources via the Web. Further automation support would come next year.

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At least one publisher appears to be experimenting with issuing flash drives to accompany at least some of the serial volumes they publish. How, or should, libraries process flash drives received in this matter and incorporate them into their collections. Below is a question posed via e-mail by someone actually receiving such materials and some responses and recommendations:*

QUESTION:

“Recently our library received an ABA serial, the 23rd Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, with an accompanying flash drive. We have not received flash drives with print material before, and since this is sure to be a trend, I wanted to find out how others are handling this situation. The flash drive contains the contents of the entire volume, plus some unique material not replicated in the serial volume. Since we’d prefer to keep the information on the flash drive and the book together, one potential idea was to burn the flash drive contents to a CD-ROM and insert the disc in the back of the book.”

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April 8, 2009.

ALA Direct is the eNewsletter of the American Library Association.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Included in this issue is a link which our Senior Law Librarian and ALA member Philip Blue recommends for job seekers:
http://joblist.ala.org/index.cfm

ALA Connect debuts
“ALA is now providing its members a common virtual space to engage in ALA business and network with other members around issues and interests relevant to the profession. In the first phase of ALA Connect, every ALA group will have the ability to utilize posts, online docs, a group calendar, surveys, polls, chat rooms, and discussion forums. Members can log in using their regular ALA website username and password. Their records are automatically synchronized with the ALA membership database, so affiliations with committees, divisions, events, round tables, and sections are displayed. Project Manager Jenny Levine offers an overview of the site and writes: ‘I feel a little like Doctor Frankenstein-it’s aliiiiiive-but so far the patient is doing quite well.’ ”

A letter to President Obama “On March 18, ALA President Jim Rettig submitted a letter to President Obama (PDF file) to address the issues ALA members chose to share with the administration during a January 24 Town Hall Meeting during the Midwinter Meeting in Denver: ‘Libraries are perfectly positioned to disseminate information relevant to the issues and challenges that face us as a nation, the same key issues which your administration is seeking to address.’.”..

Downturn puts new stresses on libraries “As the national economic crisis deepens and social services become casualties of budget cuts, libraries have come to fill a void for more people, particularly job-seekers and those who have fallen on hard times. Libraries across the country are seeing double-digit increases in patronage, often from 10% to 30% over previous years. Many librarians say they feel ill-equipped for the newfound demands of the job, the result of working with anxious and often depressed patrons who say they have nowhere else to go….
New York Times, Apr. 1”

Google’s plan for orphan works “Millions of orphan books may get a new legal guardian. Google has been scanning the pages of those books and others as part of its plan to bring a digital library and bookstore, unprecedented in scope, to computer screens across the United States. But a growing chorus, including ALA, is expressing concern that a far-reaching settlement of a suit brought against Google by publishers and authors is about to grant the company too much power over orphan works….”
New York Times, Apr. 3–4 Continue reading

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Currently we have an opening at the O’Quinn Law Library: the position of Special Projects Librarian. For detailed information please visit: http://www.law.uh.edu/libraries/job%20ads/SpProjLibrn-04-09.htm.

Applicants please send a cover letter, a resume, and the names of three references to: Mon Yin Lung, Associate Director, O’Quinn Law Library, University of Houston, 12 Law Library, Houston, TX, 77204-6054 or mlung@central.uh.edu. Official review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled. The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

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The TS-SIS Awards Committee is pleased to announce that the recipient of the Renee D. Chapman Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions in Technical Services Law Librarianship for 2009 is Curt E. Conklin.

Curt is the Associate Director for Technical Services at the Brigham Young University Howard W. Hunter Law Library in Provo, Utah. He has worked there for 37 years in a variety of positions all within technical services. He has also been a member of AALL for 35 years. Some of his many contributions in the field of technical services include:

· One of the founding members of TS-SIS

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Many thanks to Kathy Carlson*, Wyoming State Library, for sending the following about the recent Montana court order on universal citation:

“I need to watch for the publication of Wyoming Rule changes in the Pacific advance sheets, today I noticed a rule change in Montana regarding the universal citation was issued on January 22nd. I went to the Montana Supreme Court website and found a copy of the order under the tab Orders if anyone is interested. The new order simplifies the pinpoint citation process [no longer a need to repeat the paragraph numbers in parallel cites”

http://fnweb1.isd.doa.state.mt.us/idmws/docContent.dll?Library=CISDOCSVR01^doaisd510&ID=003807381

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