The US Copyright office wants to know how the public feels about Orphan Works.  If you go to this website: http://eldred.cc/ you can get the whole story and some feedback from other people. “Orphan works are — broadly speaking — any copyrighted works where the rights holder is hard to find.” There are several reasons for this including plain and simple abandonment of work.  It would be a shame for someone’s creativity to be forever lost just because they could not find the right person to ask permission to use something.  I would be honored and thrilled to have something that I started writing, just for example, and could not finish be used for the work of someone else and put out there for others to enjoy.  I think many artists, directors, writers, and photographers alike would feel the same way.  I had never really thought about this until about two minutes ago when I stumbled across this advocacy site and learned what Orphan Works are.  Will I publicly give my input on the matter outside of this blog? Unfortunately, probably not.  But, if this does interest anyone enough you can go to this website to let the US Copyright office know how you feel. Orphanworks.org

I was just looking around on censorship news and whatnot for this blog and found a really cool website. It is the Index on Censorship site: http://www.indexoncensorship.org/.  As far as I can tell it is documented both online and as a paper magazine.  “Index on Censorship is one of the world’s leading repositories of original, challenging, controversial and intelligent writing on free expression issues. Index on Censorship continues to log free expression abuses in scores of countries, report on censorship issues from all over the world, and add to the debates on those issues.” It is a little pricy, but you can opt to subscribe only to the print, only to the online version, or to both, which seems to be the best way to get the most bang out of your buck.  I had a lot of fun just tooling around the site getting a feel for it.  You can look up events hosted by the publication itself or just pertaining to the freedom of expression.  One event that caught my eye was a documentary about struggles in Turkey for freedom of expression.  It offers something for whatever you might be interested in, and would be a good website to zone out on next time your bored in class….but not Lib 103.

I have recently come to realize that public libraries rest in the armpit of a list of possible areas for government funding and acknowledgement. Why would the government care about the literacy of its people? That will not make our politicians rich like oil does.  The only way to get a lot of funding is through grass roots movements by people who actually care about the future of the people of the country.  While looking on the American Library Association website, I came across a story about a group o outraged parents who were protesting at the state capital in Olympia, Washington.  The state government had decreased the amount of money allotted to the public school libraries’ media program.  To me this seems like one of the most absurd things a state government could do to its people.  Whether or not the politicians give a damn about the children in public schools, because I am sure all of their children go to private institutions, they should know that messing with peoples kids is the number one way to enrage them.  To make the politicians really feel like dirt bags there were several small children along with the protestors holding signs that read “I need our school library.”

The population of the United States is growing at an exponential rate.  As we continue to grow, the population becomes more and more diverse.  It is the job of the public libraries to accommodate to the residents of an area, and this means they must begin to carry books that will appeal to a broader scope.  I recently read an article on the USA Today website about the issue.  “’We have always been concerned with new and emerging communities’ said Loriene Roy, president-elect of the ALA. ‘Libraries were writing pamphlets back in 1910 on how to serve their immigrant communities. It’s part of our legacy and part of our history.’”  Libraries seem to be a safe haven for non-English speaking Americans.  People can find literature in their own language or maybe even find books that can help better their English.  Film, music, and news in other languages and of other cultures would help to make immigrants feel more at home and help to broaden the horizons of other library patrons.  This would benefit everyone and is a great way to spend library funds.  I would love it if UNCW took steps to bring more information in from outside the United States.

I came across an article about the book we discussed a couple of classes ago: The Higher Power of Lucky.  Everyone might not remember the name of it, but I am sure that anyone who was in class that day will remember it as the book that had the word “scrotum” on the first page.  While I do find it a little odd that the author chose to use that word in a book meant for children, I do not really see what the uproar is about.  Anyone with enough time on their hands to worry so much about one word in one book has no life and I feel sorry for them.  Just because a book is in a collection does not mean the librarian has to read it out loud.  Let it be available to the kids.  If they have any questions, I am pretty sure they will ask their parents who should have already told their kids by the time they can read the difference between girls and boys.  If not, well, it is time.  The word is not that important and will probably be bypassed by most kids anyway.  I would probably have read it and forgotten by the time I got home that I even saw the word.  Get a life people.

I am not really sure what is entitled to us by the First Amendment, but I thought we were guaranteed the right to view any text that was published and made public.  I recently stumbleled across an article on the USA Today website entitled “Inmates Sue Over Clearing of Religious Books From Libraries”.  In the wake of September 11^th almost all religious text, especially Islamic was taken off the shelves of libraries in prisons.  “’The presence of extremist chaplains, contractors or volunteers in the BOP’s correctional facilities can pose a threat to institutional security and could implicate national security if inmates are encouraged to commit terrorist acts against the United States.’ the bureau’s report said.”  It seems to me that these people may be violent or criminals, but they certainly are not necessarily stupid.  Just as many free citizens fall under radical ideas everyday.  I would think that if I were in prison, it would be the time that I would need religion the most.  I am not a particularly religious person, but I can see how faith in something could help turn someone around or even just help them to hang on.  Regardless of the reasons or concerns it is the inmates’ constitutional right to view any religious text available.

I was just looking at this website:  http://capwiz.com/ala/issues/alert/?alertid=10984226. It gives information on library and education legislation.  The Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (H.R. 2419), Section 6302 would include “libraries in the rural telecommunications program: ‘Telemedicine, Library Connectivity, and Distance Learning Services in Rural Areas.’”  This is a really great idea because it would support more funding to libraries in rural areas.  Internet services would then be available to children in rural areas that might otherwise be a little behind due to lack of resources.  Ofcourse this would also help adults to, but with the “No Child Left Behind” policy, legislation aimed at education seems to be a little easier to pass.  With that being said, I think people like to jump on the bandwagon of a good idea before realizing that we can not really give money to all the good causes without raising taxes or cutting the funding going to something else.  How does one determine what is of more importance than something else?  We are all tax payers and it seems to me that what money should be spent on is subjective, but I guess that is why we have lobbyists and congressmen and senators always have worry lines on their faces.

While looking online for library news to write this blog on, I stumbled across several other blogs about libraries and library technology news. Now, I am not exactly a blog kind of gal. I do not picture myself continuing to keep one after this class is over. It has always seemed kind of silly and lame to me to think that anyone would care what I had for lunch today or what I thought about abortion. I do see how a blog could be useful, to some extent, in a professional realm. When I went to http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/, the very first article I saw was “How School Libraries Can Use Board Games”. The entry not only let the reader know the blogger’s opinion on the subject, but gave links to further reading on the subject. I am personally all for the use of games to get kids interested in learning and reading. The only way to hold a child’s interest for more than a minute or two is to make it fun. Most of the time that is the only way to hold an adult’s attention as well. Schools and libraries have always used games, felt story boards, and other things of that nature for children, but as we have moved into the digital age most kids respond to more technologically advanced tools. I think it is great that libraries are stepping it up a notch.

So, today is Earth Day, one of my favorite holidays, which happens to fall right after one of my other favorite holidays.  If you do not know what I’m talking about, then do not worry about it.  As I was trying to think of what to write about for this blog, it struck me that I could address some environmental issues that are faced by libraries.  Call me a tree hugger if you like, but I kind of like having them around. Going digital not only made things a little easier for both librarians and patrons, but also cut down on the use of paper products used by the libraries.  Cards for card catalogues were eliminated and many of the articles can be viewed on a computer screen with the click of a button.  A lot of extra waste is created by vending machines and coffee shops which use disposable cups, but a lot of that is up to the people who purchase these items instead of buying reusable cups and nalagines. I would, however, like to see more recycling receptacles in the library.  This would encourage students to throw their recyclables in them while walking by as opposed to a garbage can. These are just a few things that crossed my mind. Happy Earth Day!

I’ve come to realize that World Cat is a pretty convenient website to be able to access.  As far as databases go, it is pretty general and easy to use.  It can be accessed several different ways, and if I can use it then it absolutely must be user friendly.  Yes, I am one of those computer illiterate folks.  I hate to admit it, but even though we have talked about it and used it in class, I have not really looked at it until we received this database presentation project.  Through OCLC, or the Online Computer Library Catalogue, one can access World Cat among a number of other, more specific, databases.  This class   has taught me a lot that I did not previously know.  As frustrating as it can be at times, because I just do no think the way that is required to really get the hang of the internet and online research easily.