[LISNews] The LISNews For February 26th 2009
The LISNews Librarian News By Email
lisnews at lishost.net
Thu Feb 26 11:57:51 CST 2009
Let's see what the most popular stories have been for the past 30 days:
-[1] - Jean Srnecz Dies in Plane Crash
http://lisnews.org/node/32777/
-[2] - Remembering Librarians Kathy Krasniewicz and Kate McClelland
http://lisnews.org/node/32591/
-[3] - Amazon’s Kindle 2 Will Debut Feb. 9
http://lisnews.org/node/32570/
-[4] - Dr. Melvil Dewey Dead In Florida
http://lisnews.org/node/32667/
-[5] - Libraries and copyfraud : Special collections and the public domain
http://lisnews.org/node/32676/
And here's the latest from LISNews:
--Some bright spots in Nebraska
- http://lisnews.org/node/32902/
-Front Page Story by Bibliofuture Posted Thursday February 26th at 11:05 AM
-Read 54 times - 0 Comments
Students rally after hearing library branches may close Nine-year-old Grace Doll and her friends often visit Lincoln’s
South Branch Library. So when the Sheridan Elementary fourth-grader heard the Library Board was proposing the closing of
the South and Bethany branches to save money, she recruited classmates to rally after school Monday to support the 27th and
South streets library. “I’ve been coming here since I was 2, and when I heard about its possible closing I wanted to do
something about it,” she said Monday, taking a break from the protest. “It wasn’t hard to get my friends involved. They love
reading and they just love to come here.” Full story here.
--Nebraska Librarians In Hot Water Over 'Rock Band'
- http://lisnews.org/node/32901/
-Front Page Story by Bibliofuture Posted Thursday February 26th at 10:28 AM
-Read 194 times - 5 Comments
Librarians in Nebraska are under investigation by local news media and the state after a youtube video surfaced of these
book-lovers setting up and playing Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution. Further down in article: Most librarians I've
known are surprisingly cool. They are dedicated people who like education, books and kids. I'd speculate that the librarians
in Nebraska are buying game systems to draw kids to the library by actually making the place relevant to the interests and
lifestyles of the people in the community. Shocking, right? After purchasing the games and systems, the librarians set them
up and tried them out. Amazing, right? Story at G4
--What is in the stimulus for you?
- http://lisnews.org/node/32900/
-Blog Entry by mdoneil Posted Thursday February 26th at 10:27 AM
-Read 21 times - 2 Comments
Months in the making, the massive federal stimulus program is now a reality. Find out if there's anything in the new law
that of which you can take advantage: Wage-earners and the Self-employed A payroll tax credit will put an extra $400 in
many Americans' pockets in 2009 and 2010 ($800 for married couples). Employees should promptly realize the benefit through
reduced withholding from their paychecks. If you're self-employed, talk to your tax professional about reducing your
quarterly estimated tax payments. Like many features of the stimulus plan, this break isn't for everyone—the credit starts
to phase out when your income reaches $75,000, or $150,000 for married couples filing a joint return. First-time Homebuyers
To bolster the real estate market, the stimulus package offers a tax credit equal to 10% of the purchase price of a first
home. Tax credits are more valuable than deductions because they offer a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax bill. This
one is capped at $8,000 and applies to homes purchased between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, 2009. Your right to claim this credit
starts to phase out once your income exceeds $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for married couples. Unlike a similar credit
passed last year, this one doesn't have to be repaid—unless you sell the home within three years. New Car Purchasers If
you buy a new car, light truck, sport utility, recreational vehicle or motorcycle after Feb. 17 and before Dec. 31, 2009,
you may be able to deduct the state and local taxes you paid with your purchase. Used cars don't count. You don't even
have to itemize your deductions to get this benefit, but there are two important limitations: You can only deduct taxes paid
on the first $49,500 of the vehicle's price. The tax break starts shrinking once your income hits $125,000 for singles and
$250,000 for married couples. According to U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who sponsored the legislation, a family
making less than $250,000 a year would save $300 to $600 on a new car. The Unemployed The legislation provides two key
benefits for those who've lost their jobs: A tax break on benefits. Federal unemployment benefits are usually taxable, but
the first $2,400 will be tax-free in 2009. Health insurance subsidies. When you lose your job, you generally have the right
to keep your health insurance for 18 months—but usually at a much higher out-of-pocket cost. To ease that pain, the stimulus
plan creates a federal subsidy to cover 65% of the cost for the first nine months. To be eligible, you must have been forced
from your job between Sept. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009. Also, your income can't be greater than $125,000 for individuals or
$250,000 for married couples. Students The plan has three features focused on making higher education more affordable. A
bigger and better HOPE credit. This tuition credit will rise to $2,500 in 2009 and 2010, will be available for four years
instead of two, and can now be applied to the cost of books. Eligibility is more liberal too, with the credit phasing out
when income reaches $80,000 for singles and $160,000 for couples. Larger Pell Grants. These federal education grants for
lower-income students will max out at $5,350 in 2009 and $5,550 in 2010—a $500 increase from the current schedule. A new
use for money in 529 plans. These attractive college savings plans, which allow tax-free withdrawals for qualified expenses,
are now even more flexible since they may be used to buy computers, software and Internet service. Energy Savers In 2009
and 2010, homeowners can take advantage of a 30% tax credit—up to a maximum $1,500—for energy-saving improvements like:
Energy-saving water heaters, air conditioners and heat pumps Biomass stoves Increased insulation Energy-efficient doors,
windows and skylights N.B. This is not legal, tax, or estate planning advice.
--Philip Jose Farmer Passes Into His Riverworld
- http://lisnews.org/node/32899/
-Front Page Story by Great Western Dragon Posted Thursday February 26th at 9:53 AM
-Read 77 times - 0 Comments
Legendary science fiction author Philip Jose Farmer died yesterday morning at his home in North Peoria. He was 91. Farmer
was well known as the man who wrote the Riverworld series of books which are considered classics of science fiction and
explore the world of life after death. Normally a sort of reclusive figure, Philip Jose Farmer was passionate about his
local libraries. Indeed, he gave them the credit for fostering his love and of reading and writing. More news from the PJ
Star.
--Authors' Guild vs. reality: Kindles and read-aloud
- http://lisnews.org/node/32898/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Thursday February 26th at 7:24 AM
-Read 103 times - 0 Comments
Cory Doctorow: Time and again, the Author's Guild has shown itself to be the epitome of a venal special interest group, the
kind of grasping, foolish posturers that make the public cynically assume that the profession it represents is a racket, not
a trade. This is, after all, the same gang of weirdos who opposed the used book trade going online.
--Apply for ALA’s $5,000 Gaming Grants
- http://lisnews.org/node/32896/
-Front Page Story by Bibliofuture Posted Thursday February 26th at 1:13 AM
-Read 202 times - 3 Comments
If you’re a public or school librarian who’s found a creative way to connect literacy and gaming, the American Library
Association’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services wants you to apply for one of its $5,000 grants. They’re designed to
help librarians expand and further develop innovative literacy gaming services for kids ages 10-18. Full article in School
Library Journal
--What About the Readers?
- http://lisnews.org/node/32895/
-Front Page Story by Bibliofuture Posted Thursday February 26th at 1:01 AM
-Read 142 times - 2 Comments
To get the right answers, you have to ask the right questions. Book publishing has many conundrums to solve in the coming
decade, and not a week goes by without a long, thoughtful article in some major magazine about the impending collapse of the
industry and its myriad causes: ebooks, Youtube, greed, television, gaming, big advances, returns, amazon, pirates, the
Decline and Fall of Civilization. The articles all revolve around this central and troubling question: "How can publishing
maintain its financial viability when fewer people are reading books? Especially when everyone wants everything for free?"
This is going to be a tough question for publishers to answer, but it misses a more fundamental question, which is: "What do
readers want, and how can we best provide it?" I don't mean: "What books do they want to read," but rather, "What can we do
to help people read more books?" Full article here.
--Oregon Historical Society Library to close at the end of February
- http://lisnews.org/node/32894/
-Blog Entry by Anonymous Patron Posted Thursday February 26th at 1:29 AM
-Read 119 times - 0 Comments
Due to budget cuts, the Oregon Historical Society Research Library will be closing on February 28, 2009. After that date,
collections will no longer be available to the public. At this point, photo and film reproduction orders will still be
taken. And OHS staff post a memo that begins: Because of declining revenue projections for 2009, the OHS Board of
Trustees has directed management to reduce expenditures and lay off staff members to bring the budget into balance. The main
causes of revenue decline are: A 2009-10 state appropriation that is forecast to be 65% lower ($800,000 per year less) than
last year's. A probable take-back of $350,000 from the 2009 state appropriation The loss of approximately $400,000 in
annual endowmwent earnings A drop in giving to the OHS annual appeal ...
http://ohsu-hca.blogspot.com/2009/02/oregon-historical-society-library.html http://www.ohs.org/research/library/index.cfm
--Roy Blount Jr. Has a Beef With Kindle 2
- http://lisnews.org/node/32893/
-Front Page Story by birdie Posted Wednesday February 25th at 2:26 PM
-Read 360 times - 6 Comments
Where's the beef? In today's New York Times op-ed. Blount, author of the popular title Alphabet Juice, confirms that
"Kindle 2 is being sold specifically as a new, improved, multimedia version of books — every title is an e-book and an audio
book rolled into one." He continues, "And whereas e-books have yet to win mainstream enthusiasm, audio books are a
billion-dollar market, and growing." His beef is that the authors and members of the Author's Guild, where he currently
holds the position of president, are not receiving audio rights to Kindle 2's robotic audio versions. Audio rights are not
generally packaged with e-book rights. They are more valuable than e-book rights. Income from audio books helps not
inconsiderably to keep authors, and publishers, afloat.
--Children's Author Rosemary Wells Salutes Librarians and Teachers
- http://lisnews.org/node/32890/
-Front Page Story by birdie Posted Wednesday February 25th at 11:25 AM
-Read 184 times - 0 Comments
Author Rosemary Wells made a lot of people feel good about themselves at the Staten Island Historical Society Literacy
Leadership luncheon at the Excelsior Grand, New Dorp. The creator of beloved characters such as sibling bunnies Max and
Ruby stressed the importance of reading to children every day and praised the people who help make that possible.
"Without teachers and librarians, our world as writers would be very small. Because of you, the world of ideas is open to
all children," she said. The author of some 60 books lauded the society's honoree, Robert (Bobaloo) Basey, for his work as
a storyteller. "When you go around to schools and libraries, you are a living book and that is a wonderful life to live,"
she said. Telling a story about building bridges, and performing his own exit music on a flute, Basey, a teaching artist
and Stapleton native, expressed his gratitude for "getting a boost to hang in there. It's a challenge with arts funding
being cut." A major Max and Ruby fan, Robyn Busan, 7, was there to meet Ms. Wells. She is also a child who is being given,
in Ms. Wells' words, the "gift of thought and language" by being read to. "I like that he [Max] doesn't really talk much,"
said the first-grader at PS 65. "And he doesn't listen," said her father, Robert, who was obviously benefiting from the
daily reading sessions he and his wife share with their daughter.
--Nebraska discovers its librarians: is Outraged!
- http://lisnews.org/node/32888/
-Blog Entry by effinglibrarian Posted Wednesday February 25th at 8:29 AM
-Read 736 times - 10 Comments
Breaking News from the Action 3 News Team, Nebraska's top Action News Team for the past 2 years: "Some librarians play
games in the library. Are you as shocked as we are? We bet you are!" Apparently some Nebraska librarians bought a Sony
PlayStation for their library and shot a video while they played games. Nebraska (Motto, "No, Sir, We Don't Like It. Not One
Bit.") found the video on YouTube during a search for videos on "another use for corn" and called the Action 3 News Team to
express its outrage. "It's outrageous," Nebraska apparently said. Now, when I play Fallout 3 at work and run the Xbox
through our new ceiling-mounted $4,000 DLP projector, I shut the door to keep people from watching. Hell, I didn't trick my
supervisor into thinking all this gaming crap was for teen programs just to let actual teens get their hands on all this
cool stuff. I'm still in the planning stages. Planning stages that could take all of 2009. From the Action 3 News Team
Story: Outrage of Video Showing Librarians' Playing On The Clock The Action 3 News Team set out to show the ten minute
YouTube video to some Nebraska tax payers in Omaha,... Cameron Paladino stood with his father, Kevin, while the father
explained, "They are setting up this game, like a PlayStation game like Guitar Hero, while they're at work, and then they're
playing it while they should be working. We are pay for that through our taxes." With a confused look on his face the 6 year
old says, "Is that bad?" His father Kevin says, "That is bad."Not only were the librarians paid to "play games," they were
reimbursed for mileage to attend "workshops" and to "eat lunch." "How dare they," Nebraska responded when it heard. The
Action 3 News Team story concludes that the $400 "game is sitting in a closet, it is not even being used." Okay, Action 3
News Team, do you want the librarians to play games, or not??? The Nebraska Governor has appointed six people to find out
just when Nebraska acquired these librarians, and what it is the librarians are doing there. Because they sure aren't
farming.
--Details emerge about Bush library, policy center
- http://lisnews.org/node/32887/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Wednesday February 25th at 7:53 AM
-Read 191 times - 0 Comments
George W. Bush's presidential library is taking shape in early designs, evolving from separate buildings at SMU into a
single, multi-story complex with a policy institute nearly two-thirds bigger than first proposed.
--DRM a drag on e-book growth, say critics
- http://lisnews.org/node/32886/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Wednesday February 25th at 7:51 AM
-Read 267 times - 3 Comments
Imagine bringing home a music CD from Best Buy and discovering that it will only play on some of your stereo equipment.
Moreover, you're limited in the number of times you can switch the CD from one stereo to another. That is the kind of
restriction and hassle that e-book enthusiasts face today, according to critics, because of the widespread use -- misuse,
they would argue -- of digital rights management (DRM) technology.
--Linux Roundup for February 25th
- http://lisnews.org/node/32885/
-Blog Entry by michaelk Posted Wednesday February 25th at 12:23 AM
-Read 215 times - 0 Comments
Mike Kellat presents a brief round-up of current Linux and open source news. Related links: Linux Mint Release
Announcement VectorLinux Release Announcement Story in The Register about Karmic Koala Mark Shuttleworth's announcement on
Karmic Koala Development note on OpenOffice.Org 3.1 Updated Ghostscript Releases List Ghostscript 8.64 Release Notes
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