Month: July 2004

why review books?

Posted on by jessamyn

This is the entry I was trying to link to: On Reviewing Books by Michael McGrorty. I heartily concur. My book reviews are online here.

A librarian should review books because the product of that effort is a useful tool; because the exercise is an expression of the special relationship between the librarian and the book, and because the practice provides proof, practice and reinforcement of the librarian’s essential role.

libraries accentuating the digital divide?

Posted on by jessamyn

The People’s Library Army

[D]ue to recent legislation and court decisions, libraries have been forced to take steps which restrict, and sometimes monitor, the information available to library patrons via the Internet. As a result, fewer and fewer public libraries in the United States are allowed to offer free and equal access to information to their patrons. State and federal legislation as well as bureaucratic procedural decisions have firmly entrenched the perpetuation of the Digital Divide as the great un-sung reality of public library services in the United States today. Instead of hanging their heads in shame at these developments in librarianship, some librarians continue to deceive their patrons and to applaud these reprehensible decisions. The purpose of this web site is to provide everyone interested in these developments with information about such things as the Patriot Act and CIPA and the implications they have for services to library patrons.

blog: Baghdad Biblio-Files

Posted on by jessamyn

Baghdad Biblio-Files an infrequently-updated blog about rebuilding Iraq’s libraries.

Thursday’s meeting at the University of Baghdad went really well. They are probably going to be the library in the best shape. It does have some burned out areas, but like the national library did, the dean sealed the doors and bricked them over, so their collection, and their cataloging records are intact. Probably the biggest problem that they have is white ants. They have to treat once a year, and I think they weren’t able to treat for a few years. [thanks pauline]