Final Exam

I am working on the final. It includes:

Library history (in broad outline)
Which dept. does what
Which workers do what
What source would be the best for a given question
The difference between district and municipal PLs
How library boards come to be
MARC records
Library numbers (be able to identify)
Security

I'd be able to think of more if I actually had it in front of me!

I will continue this list later.

HR 1727 Did Not Pass

Illinois HR 1727, a bill that would have required all Illinois public libraries to install filters on all public-access internet terminals, failed to pass in the Illinois Senate, reports School Library Journal. The bill had passed in the House (by 63 to 51). The legislative session is over now, but the bill could reintroduced in the future as a new bill.

Powerpoint on Banned Books and Copyright

To help you study for the final, here are links to the PowerPoint presentations we saw in class.

Banned Books

Copyright

Internet PowerPoint Presentation

For those of you who may want to review the Internet PowerPoint presentation given in class here it is.

The presentation should open in your browser; you don't even need PowerPoint to see it.

MARC record

Want to see a MARC (machine readable cataloging) record? Go to Northwestern University Library's online catalog, pull up any record, then click "technical view".

Library U. Assignment

There seems to be a problem with the Library U. tutorial called Accompanying the Young Reader: Helping the Reader Choose Appropriate Books (Course Code: YSR001). The program doesn't allow you to print a Certificate of Completion. So, if you haven't done that one, don't. If you have, please see me for an alternative way of earning ten points for the assignment.

Illinois Library Association's call to action regarding HB 1727

This is the Illinois Library Association press release about HR 1727, the proposed IL law that will require filters to be installed on all public computers at IL public libraries.

The IL Library Association has called for a Library Blackout Day, Monday, May 14, 2007, during which IL public libraries are asked to "disable internet access to the public" in order to protest about the proposed law. Libraries plan to observe this "Day of Unity" in various ways.

Encouraging News

From an American Library Association (ALA) press release dated April 16, 2007:

Ten years after some experts predicted the demise of the nation's system of libraries as a result of the Internet explosion, the most current national data on library use shows that the exact opposite has happened. Data released today by the American Library Association (ALA) indicates that the number of visits to public libraries in the United States increased 61 percent between 1994 and 2004.

For the full report (PDF) and links to related documents, see "The State of America's Libraries".

Library U

Library U classes for Spring Semester 2007:
Definites

1. Shelving with Dewey
   
2. Shelving with LC
   
3. Cataloging for Non-Catalogers
   
4. Basic Web Based Reference
   
5. Evaluating Information Found on the WebZ
   
6. FirstSearch
   
7. Locating Journal Articles with Academic Search Elite
   
8. Readers Advisory Service
   
9. Weeding
   
10. Time for Talking Books