LibWorm.com provides a librarian RSS filtering service. Over 1500 RSS librarian sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest headlines from journals and sites in the Schools interest group. http://www.libworm.com/rss/librarianqueries.php Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:50:22 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/08/summer-reading-book-talks.html Have you finished your summer reading yet? On Wednesday, September 1st, I am hosting a book talk during Flex Lunch B to discuss Shift by Jennifer Bradbury. If you've read this book or would like to learn more about it, I hope to see you there! (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Mon, 29 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 868508 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/08/welcome-back.html The HHS Media Center would like to welcome Mrs. Rusk, our new media assistant. Mrs. Rusk and I are excited to help you find materials, access information, and develop research projects. We have many great new books in our school library this year. Please stop by and visit us today! (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100 864950 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/07/wondering-what-to-read-next.html The Book Seer will recommend a book based on another title you enjoyed. This is ideal for summer reading! Before you leave for vacation, check out this link to bring along the perfect book. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:00:00 +0100 863711 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/06/have-great-summer.html Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. ~ Sir John Lubbock (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Thu, 16 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0100 853399 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/05/summer-and-ap-reading-book-fair.html It's time to get ready for summer reading! Mark your calendars:May 24-28, the HHS Media Center will host a book fair sponsored by Educate & Celebrate. Students can buy books during the school day. We will accept cash and checks made payable to HHS. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Mon, 16 May 2011 04:00:00 +0100 846087 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/04/communitites-thrive-your-school-library.html The week of April 11-17, 2010 is National Library Week. Check out a book today to receive a chance to win a great gift card! Winners will be announced on Friday, April 16th. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:00:00 +0100 836210 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/03/hhs-media-center-welcomes-input-from.html The HHS Media Center welcomes input from students and staff. If you would like to suggest new materials for our collection, please complete this recommendation form. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:00:00 +0100 827811 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-into-womens-history-month.html "A woman is like a tea bag--you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water!"- Eleanor RooseveltCelebrate Women's History Month. Come down to the Media Center to check out our selection of books by and about women. Think you know everything about women?? Take this quiz! (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:00:00 +0100 827812 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/02/students-parents-teachers.html Share the experience of reading 30 minutes a day for 30 days, and you could be chosen to win one of two top prizes: a starring role in a Maryland reading video or an Amazon Kindle.For more information, click here or stop by the HHS Library Media Center to pick up your reading calendar today. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Sat, 26 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0100 823658 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/02/hope-for-haiti.html Photo Source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifrc/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0During the month of February, the HHS Library Media Center is collecting books for children in Haiti. All books must in in good condition and appropriate for a Haitian child between the age of 5 and 16. You can drop your donations in the boxes labeled "Books for Haiti" near the circulation desk by February 28th. Thanks for your support! (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0100 821571 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/02/read-all-about-it.html Loooking for something to read today? Teen Tribune features articles and stories written for teens, by teens. Be sure to check out this insightful article published by one of our Hurricane writers! (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0100 819508 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/02/celebrate-black-history-month.html February is Black History Month. Test your knowledge of Civil Rights heroes by taking this interactive quiz.To learn more about the contributions of African Americans in history, try these great websites:African VoicesThis Smithsonian online exhibit celebrates Africa's diversity and long history.African American WorldSponsored by PBS, this website features a large collection of classroom resources for teachers and students.Black HistoryHere you can find an interactive timeline, biographies, and a collection of video clips. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0100 819509 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2010/02/celebrate-black-history-month.html February is Black History Month. Test your knowledge of Civil Rights heroes by taking this interactive quiz.To learn more about the contributions of African Americans in history, try these great websites:African VoicesThis Smithsonian online exhibit celebrates Africa's diversity and long history.African American WorldSponsored by PBS, this website features a large collection of classroom resources for teachers and students.Black HistoryHere you can find an interactive timeline, biographies, and a collection of video clips. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0100 815254 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2000/01/brrrrr.html What are you reading during this frosty season? Visit the HHS Media Center to see which books are hot right now! Write the title of a great book you've read this month, and enter to win a warm drink from Starbucks. (Hot chocolate, anyone?) Please stop by the circulation desk for contest details. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Sun, 09 Jan 2011 05:00:00 +0100 808400 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2009/12/make-reading-resolution.html I’m posting this entry just in time for the New Year-- reflecting on my favorite books of 2009 while resolving to read many more in 2010.As the year draws to a close, top picks emerge in annual “best of” lists everywhere. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) encourages teens to nominate and select their favorite books annually. In 2009, Paper Towns by John Green won the “teen’s choice” award with the most votes.Have you read it yet?Whether you're a fan of books that are romantic or realistic, fantasy-based or futuristic; be sure to check out YALSA's entire list of 2009 Teens’ Top Ten . You can also see Maryland's 2009 Black Eyed Susan nominees for great suggestions. Most of these titles are available to borrow in our HHS media center. Happy New Year! (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 804433 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-hello.html I am very excited to be joining the faculty of Huntingtown High School as a library media specialist. While I am new to HHS, I feel right at home working in this community. My teaching career started in 1993 at Plum Point Middle School. I taught seventh and eighth grade social studies there for nine years before taking a leave of absence for another rewarding job, motherhood!During my time at Plum Point, I grew to love technology and all the ways it can enhance classroom learning. My students benefited from informational technologies to develop award-winning history fair projects. I loved guiding students through the research process, and decided to obtain a post-Master’s degree in a school library media program while staying at home with my two children.I am looking forward to continuing my professional journey here at Huntingtown High. It would be my pleasure to help you with any research question, large or small. Please stop by to say hello!Proud to be a Hurricane,Rachael Younkers (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 08 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 799137 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2009/11/fond-farewell.html Friday, 11.20.09 will be my last day here at Huntingtown High School. I will be taking on a new job which will allow me to explore Open Source Online Learning Management Systems that will let us provide classes for both students and teachers online throughout the state of Maryland. Every school in which I have worked has a special place in my heart, and HHS will be no different. I have learned so much from the HHS staff and students, and for that I thank you! I wish each and every one of you happiness and success in your future endeavors. Don't be afraid to embrace change and sieze opportunities that come your way. Remember that "keywords unlock information," and be a lifetime learner! My email address is the same, so if you need any help, feel free to email me at: voelkerc@calvernet.k12.md.us or follow me on twitter: voelkerc Proud to be a Hurricane,~Ms. Voelker (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Thu, 18 Nov 2010 05:00:00 +0100 795093 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2009/11/are-you-ready-for-new-moon.html New MoonNew Moon will be in theatres on November 20, 2009. Are you ready?Take the poll:Are you planning to see New Moon?(answers) (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 10 Nov 2010 05:00:00 +0100 790670 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2009/10/southern-maryland-youth-in-technology.html Consider this opportunity: According to their website, you can "learn first hand about careers from professionals in Defense Technologies, Information Technologies, Health Technologies, Energy Technologies, and Trade Technologies." Lunch will be provided and there will be afternoon sessions for students and parents.When: October 31, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Where: CSM, LaPlata Campus, PE Building (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0100 784244 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2009/09/did-you-know-40.html Something more to think about from Karl Fisch: (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 774373 http://mblc.state.ma.us/jobs/find_jobs/rss.php?job_id=6367 Part-time position (16 hours/week) for a Circulation Assistant. Duties include using computer terminals to charge and discharge library materials; shelving materials; shelf reading the collection; staffing the Information Desk; filling items on daily paging list; dispensing general information to customers; performing network transfer functions; and other assigned duties. The work schedule includes one evening per week, one shift on Saturday, and one Sunday per month during the school year. Saturday hours will be worked at one of the two branch libraries. (Source: MBLC Job Listings) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:25:02 +0100 868584 http://joblist.ala.org/modules/jobseeker/controller.cfm?rssjobid=15584 Dean of Library & Distance Education (McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, Illinois)   Responsible for providing leadership, development and implementation of services and programs for the Library, Distance Education, and Academic Computer Labs. ... Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:20:02 +0100 868581 http://web.resourceshelf.com/go/resourceblog/60293 Useful and perhaps something to share with your closest friends. (-: Say hello to the Ancestry.com U.S. School Yearbook collection. More in a moment. Remember: Ancestry.com is a fee-based service but free trials* are available. Also, many libraries offer access to Ancestry.com via ProQuest's Library Edition. We have an email into ProQuest to see [...] (Source: ResourceShelf) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:38:27 +0100 868690 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/02/blair-job-done-1997-numb-labour In Downing Street, Blair never fulfilled his early promise and let Brown in. Now he can only emit a long wail of impotenceWho said books are dead? Did he blog or tweet, video or iPad? No, Tony Blair wanted to get a message across, so he wrote a book. He smeared the black stuff on trees, stitched it together and made people go out to buy it. Good for him.Blair's mildly engaging stream of auto-eroticism shows him memoirising much as he ruled. He uses the first person singular a million times. He stages everything. He fixes on a theme and controls the narrative. The intention is to smother an Iraq apologia in endless quotables on Gordon Brown and his emotional idiocy and general hopelessness. It is cruel, but has worked a dream.Blair was a politician of great talent, and a miserable prime minister. The service he did his country was considerable, but it was done by the time he took office in 1997. It was to anaesthetise the Labour party while he turned it into a vehicle to make him electable and his newly espoused Thatcherism irreversible, much as Attlee had made welfarism irreversible in 1945. The British left is still in denial on the subject.When the Social Democratic party was formed in 1981, an ambitious young Blair abused them as "middle-aged, middle-class erstwhile Labour", with only "lingering social consciences [to] prevent them voting Tory". When, a year later, Anthony Blair fought Beaconsfield, he was for CND, against Trident and for withdrawal from Europe. (None of this is in his memoir.)When Blair arrived in parliament in 1983, he was eloquent in defence of clause IV renationalisation: "not a question of reinterpreting it … but a question of giving effect to it". There should be no curb on trade union rights, and privatisation should be abandoned "here, now and for ever". When Nigel Lawson cut income tax to 40%, Blair demanded Labour increase it to 60%. ... Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:30:13 +0100 868553 http://lisnews.org/it039s_not_too_latei_love_my_librarian_award Nominations for 2010 stay open through September 20. Nominate your librarian (or yourself?) for the third year of the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award! From this page, you can nominate a school librarian, public librarian or university librarian. Here's the page for promotional tools (tweets, etc.) and here are handsome badges for your website, such as the one below. Up to ten winners will be selected this year and receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and $500 travel stipend to attend an awards reception in New York hosted by The New York Times. In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner’s library. The award is administered by the American Library Association with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York and The New York Times. Join us on Facebook for updates on the award throughout the nomination process. You can read about last year's winners here. (Source: LISNews.org) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:15:02 +0100 868647 http://www.lisnews.org/it039s_not_too_latei_love_my_librarian_award Nominations for 2010 stay open through September 20. Nominate your librarian (or yourself?) for the third year of the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award! From this page, you can nominate a school librarian, public librarian or university librarian. Here's the page for promotional tools (tweets, etc.) and here are handsome badges for your website, such as the one below. Up to ten winners will be selected this year and receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and $500 travel stipend to attend an awards reception in New York hosted by The New York Times. In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner’s library. The award is administered by the American Library Association with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York and The New York Times. Join us on Facebook for updates on the award throughout the nomination process. You can read about last year's winners here. (Source: LISNews - Librarian And Information Science News) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:15:02 +0100 868588 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2010/09/02/start-the-school-year-with-epas-energy-star/ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging students and their parents to support the environment by shopping for back-to-school clothes and supplies at retail stores that have earned the Energy Star label. Energy Star saves Americans energy and helps them protect the environment by avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Star labeled stores have features that set them apart from typical stores, such as energy efficient lighting, registers that go to sleep when not in use, and store processes for shutting off equipment during closed hours. Energy Star labeled stores are independently verified to meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by EPA. Stores that have earned the Energy Star perform in the top 25 percent of stores nationwide, use at least 35 percent less energy and emit at least 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than their peers. Through Energy Star, EPA works with nearly 150 retail companies across the country—including 40 of the Top 100 U.S. retailers—to help them manage energy use, lower utility bills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Together, Energy Star partners, including Kohl’s Department Stores, JCPenney, Verizon Wireless, Staples, and Target, have more than 900 Energy Star labeled stores in 48 states, making it easy to shop green from coast to coast. Families can also help protect the environment by choosing Energy Star qualified products such as computers and desk lamps. Energy Star qualified lamps use less energy mainly because they include compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use 75 percent less energy than regular incandescent light bulbs. Computers that have earned the Energy Star use up to 65 percent less energy than conventional models. ... Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:38:52 +0100 868639 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/teleread/ezFR/~3/aed8EKSGaFk/ From the press release:   Poole Literary Festival in partnership with the Media School at Bournemouth University has established a prize for new media writing. The prize creates an exciting opportunity for writers working with new media to showcase their skills, provoke discussion and raise awareness of new media writing and the future of the written word. The competition deadline is approaching rapidly, with a cut-off point of Midday (GMT – UK time) on 15 September for entries. There are two awards, one for Best New Media Writing and one for Best Student New Media Writing. Prizes will be awarded at a prestigious Awards Ceremony on 31 October 2010. Please ensure all entries are received by the closing date. This is very important as in the interests of fairness to all entrants exceptions cannot be made for late submissions. Entry details: HYPERLINK “http://www.poolelitfest.com/new-media-prize.php” http://www.poolelitfest.com/new-media-prize.php   The judges of the New Media Writing Prize have a blog at: HYPERLINK “http://www.newmediawritingprize.co.uk/” http://www.newmediawritingprize.co.uk/   Poole Literary Festival: HYPERLINK “http://www.poolelitfest.com/index.php” http://www.poolelitfest.com/index.php Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:51:05 +0100 868677 http://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=Oregon_State_Library39s_LIS_Collection_Gay_and_Lesbian_Library_Service 16 main chapters: Key issues in collection development; school, academic and public libraries; special collections and archives; LC subject heads, bi (Source: pligg - all) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:00:30 +0100 868495 http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/09/speaking-of-obsessions-whats-wrong-with.html Wow. Libs are running scared. Who knew they'd get so spooked by a little preaching and hand holding and praying on the Mall last week. I read Kathleen Parker's piece on Glenn Beck.* I have no idea what her point was--something about it being an AA meeting--but it doesn't sound like she's ever been to an Al-Anon or AA meeting. Liberal twaddle--attack the messenger, ignore the words. Here's what other readers wrote (the link was broken when I tried to leave a comment, so these came from reader's page:bryan37, "I'm no fan of Beck, but this is nothing more than an ad hominem attack. It really borders on being a little sick. Does Parker ever have anything insightful to write? I just never see it" [I wondered the same thing.]Chippewa said, "I've lost count of how many articles and columns the WAPO has run over the past two weeks, almost unanimously bashing Beck. The onslaught continues today. It's become the WAPO's surge. If he's such an idiot, why pay so much attention to him? Could it be because he's viewed as a threat to the Chosen One? Can't have that now, can we???"Jack 83 wrote: The post missed the boat on this one. It was obviously a wonderful experience for the people who enjoy Glenn and his ideas about things. It seemed to me the event was a nice bit of America that people are longing for instead of all the hate. Nice Event/Clueless story.MomDuke5 said: Your mockery of the program and pointing your finger at a man who has succeeded indicates to me if you had to do it you would fail. So what if you can compare his success with a program that has brought many people out of the despair and darkness of alcohol. Three cheers for him and his desire to show America if I can do it so can you! Faith of all kinds is all around you and your faith can set you free. Your reference to Mother Superior as Sarah Palin strikes a mean, nasty, anti Catholic view. ... Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868615 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/0L8WhhEN41Q/law-school-launches-pilot-program-using-ipads.html Monterey College of Law has launched a pilot program with BAR BRI that provides iPads to student who enroll in the BAR BRI supplemental curriculum program. Students use the iPads while attending school and in preparation for the California Bar... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868560 http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.education.web4lib/16798 Mary Beth - The Dixie Grammar School(Leicestershire UK) is a great example of a WordPress based school library website: http://library-online.org.uk/ (Source: gmane.education.web4lib) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868520 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/09/hold-obama-accountable-for-the-high-cost-of-a-college-education.html The cost of college has become unpatriotic. Graduation rates aside, the most morally inexcusable aspect of college is the unbridled cost of getting in. It is clear who should be first to roll up their sleeves: college presidents. Obama should declare their tuitions and fees a state of emergency and call a national summit to hold these institutions accountable. Soon, not only the so-called “best’’ colleges but also state schools will be beyond the reach of the middle class. Obama should use the full power of his office to make clear that colleges cannot keep pushing up the cost of the American Dream. Read more at: (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868454 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SellersLibraryTeens/~3/N3XTsMTc7oQ/august-anime-club-meeting.html Today was the August meeting of the Anime Club, right on the eve of everyone returning to school. Tim showed us some clips from the Sonic the Hedgehog anime movie, clips from the Japanese video game it was based on, and some bonus Japanese Sonic commercials! Our manga drawing theme for the meeting was back-to-school, so we also watched some school-themed anime clips. I had super-cute school supplies--piggy pencil sharpeners and panda/frog erasers--for the four winners. (I got them at the dollar store by H-Mart, if you want to track down some for yourself.) Here are all of the drawings: Actual school supplies! Kelliann had the most beautiful shading in her picture of a schoolgirl. It was my first choice for a winner.A schoolgirlAnother schoolgirlYet another schoolgirlFor a change of pace...a schoolboy! OK, he's looking at a schoolgirl, but it's a start. Max won a prize for being the only person to draw a schoolboy. A schoolgirl with talking school supplies Kathy drew a really cute comic about a school of fish! I gave it a prize for originality. Still another schoolgirl Out of all the schoolgirls, I deemed this one the cutest, so Lynn won a prize. The last schoolgirl (Source: Sellers Library Teens) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:12:05 +0100 868457 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/lint/~3/gtKzkDt-dWg/ Louise Pieper from Gold Coast Public Libraries talks about why  abook club blog can build community and reduce social isolation. Public library users often resistant to more formal instruction in information literacy.  Customers don’t want to lose face or to be seen as ignorant or illiterate. They don’t want to be at school. Louse suggests that libraries: Be covert. be viral. Let information literacy seep through. Don’t call it information literacy, as it can be off putting. Look at ways of using web 2.0 to build information literacy skills covertly. Their blog: Book coasters is a way of fostering lifelong learning skills virally. The online book club can: promote reading and informal learning allow people to develop new transliteracy skills builds community (Source: librariesinteract.info) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:29:50 +0100 868450 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2010/09/01/students-join-forces-in-support-of-biodiesel/ Read the full story in Biodiesel Magazine. A new crop of leaders is emerging in the biodiesel industry through the newly-launched campaign called the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel. The goal of the program is to create an open forum for college students to collaborate, network and share ideas in support of biodiesel. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:21:25 +0100 868391 http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/sep/01/billy-liar-tom-courtenay-julie-christie Billy Liar, a story of smalltown frustration, captivated a generation, pre-empted the 60s – and even inspired Oasis. As the stage play returns, Laura Barton asks Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie why it endures'I don't think about Billy Liar very often." Tom Courtenay's voice hovers on the line. We have been discussing his upcoming holiday to the north-east coast, splashing about in the warm shallows of the present-day; at this detour into the past, he pauses, and retreats a little. "If I read it now, it would make me laugh," he concludes lightly, distantly. "But I honestly don't know why it's lasted. Who can say why some things are successful?"It is now 50 years since Keith Waterhouse's novel transferred to the stage, casting in its title role first Albert Finney and later, Courtenay. Published in 1959, Billy Liar has, over those five decades, enjoyed a rich and varied existence, remembered not only as a novel and a play, but also as a film (again starring Courtenay), a musical and a TV series. This Saturday will see it revived once more, in a lavish stage adaptation at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.Crucially, Billy Liar's longevity is not an example of a tale that is told and told again with a dulling faithfulness; rather, the long life of Billy Liar is a story of reincarnation, of each new generation seizing upon the tale afresh and making the story its own. Its influence may be felt in half a century of creative endeavour, in drama and literature and film, and, perhaps most keenly, in popular music: referenced, for instance, in the video for the Oasis single The Importance of Being Idle, and in a song by the Decemberists, and popping up, too, in many of Morrissey's lyrics, including the Smiths' 1984 hit William, It Was Really Nothing.Set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Stradhoughton, Billy Liar tells of a young undertaker's clerk named William "Billy" Fisher. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:30:12 +0100 868434 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/sep/01/terry-pratchett-alzheimers-assisted-suicide Discworld's creator on his new novel, living with Alzheimer's – and why he should be allowed to decide when to end it allWhen, not very long ago, Terry Pratchett's father was given a year to live, Pratchett père took it, on the whole, philosophically. Father and son had plenty of time to "have those conversations that you have with a dying parent", and to reminisce about his father's time in India during the war. At one point, said Pratchett, in last year's Dimbleby lecture, his father suddenly said, "'I can feel the sun of India on my face,' and his face did light up rather magically, brighter and happier than I had seen it at any time in the previous year. If there had been any justice or even narrative sensibility in the universe, he would have died there and then, shading his eyes from the sun of Karachi."If the universe refused to display narrative sensibility, then Pratchett Jr would: that moment returns early in his new novel, I Shall Wear Midnight, in which a gruff, essentially kindly old man is vouchsafed a vision of youth and sunlight (though, instead of Karachi, the sunbeams glint off a leaping hare) and expires as he describes it. Even Pratchett knows this is a tad too neat, however, so, this being Discworld, his fantasy kingdom on a flat planet sailing through space on the backs of four elephants who in turn stand on a giant turtle, Death makes a lugubrious wisecrack about it: "WASN'T THAT APPROPRIATE?"Pratchett, when he arrives at his idyllic local pub in Wiltshire, turns out to be full of this type of humour – deliberate, slightly coercive, very self-aware. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:30:09 +0100 868194 http://www.lisnews.org/some_ma_school_libraries_opensans_librarians The Bridgewater and Raynham (MA) middle school librarians won’t be getting their jobs back, but the schools’ libraries will remain open. That was the word from school officials at the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School Committee meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 25. School Committee member Gordon Luciano said after the meeting the decision of the administration to use proctors instead of librarians at the middle schools this year is final and does not need a vote by the school board. The school committee could have chosen to override the decision, he said. But there was no discussion of possible alternatives and there were no motions by committee members to take a different route. The school committee meeting was the last before the beginning of school on Wednesday, Aug. 31. Last year, Bridgewater Middle School and Raynham Middle School each had one full-time librarian. But this year, the funding for those positions was eliminated. Story from the Bridgewater Independent. (Source: LISNews - Librarian And Information Science News) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:26:06 +0100 868595 http://lisnews.org/some_ma_school_libraries_opensans_librarians The Bridgewater and Raynham (MA) middle school librarians won’t be getting their jobs back, but the schools’ libraries will remain open. That was the word from school officials at the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School Committee meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 25. School Committee member Gordon Luciano said after the meeting the decision of the administration to use proctors instead of librarians at the middle schools this year is final and does not need a vote by the school board. The school committee could have chosen to override the decision, he said. But there was no discussion of possible alternatives and there were no motions by committee members to take a different route. The school committee meeting was the last before the beginning of school on Wednesday, Aug. 31. Last year, Bridgewater Middle School and Raynham Middle School each had one full-time librarian. But this year, the funding for those positions was eliminated. Story from the Bridgewater Independent. (Source: LISNews.org) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:26:06 +0100 868253 http://www.hsdl.org/hslog/?q=node/5739 Birthright Citizenship in the United States: A Global Comparison "Every year, 300,000 to 400,000 children are born to illegal immigrants in the United States." The Center for Immigration Studies recently issued this report that analyzes issues surrounding American laws that allow children of illegal immigrants to gain automatic citizenship if born within the United States. Findings of the report include: * Only 30 of the world's 194 countries grant automatic citizenship to children born to illegal aliens. * Of advanced economies, Canada and the United States are the only countries that grant automatic citizenship to children born to illegal aliens. * No European country grants automatic citizenship to children of illegal aliens. * The global trend is moving away from automatic birthright citizenship as many countries that once had such policies have ended them in recent decades. * 14th Amendment history seems to indicate that the Citizenship Clause was never intended to benefit illegal aliens nor legal foreign visitors temporarily present in the United States. * The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the U.S.-born children of permanent resident aliens are covered by the Citizenship Clause, but the Court has never decided whether the same rule applies to the children of aliens whose presence in the United States is temporary or illegal. * Eminent scholars and jurists, including Professor Peter Schuck of Yale Law School and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner, have concluded that it is within the power of Congress to define the scope of the Citizenship Clause through legislation, and that birthright citizenship for the children of temporary visitors and illegal aliens could likely be abolished by statute without amending the Constitution. read more (Source: HSDL Weblog - On the HomeFront) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:07:56 +0100 868190 http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/6331 BERKMAN CENTER FOR INTERNET & SOCIETY AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY Upcoming events and digital media // September 1, 2010 [1] [TUESDAY 9/7] Berkman Center Fall Open House (http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/2010/09/openhouse) [2] [CONFERENCE 9/25] "Media Law in the Digital Age: The Rules Have Changed, Have You?" Conference in Atlanta, GA (http://csjconferences.org/medialaw/) [TUESDAY] BERKMAN CENTER OPEN HOUSE ================================================================================== Tuesday, September 7, 6:00 pm Ropes Gray Room, Pound Hall, Harvard Law School Campus (Map: http://bit.ly/poundmap) Free and Open to the Public Tell us if you're coming on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140755442627336) or Twitter (http://tweetvite.com/event/berkmanopenhouse) Come to the Berkman Center for Internet & Society’s Open House to meet our faculty, fellows, and staff, and to learn about the many ways you can get involved in our dynamic, exciting environment. As a University-wide research center at Harvard University, our interdisciplinary efforts in the exploration of cyberspace address a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. If you're interested in the Internet’s impact on society and are looking to engage a community of world-class fellows and faculty through events, conversations, research, and more please join us to hear more about our upcoming academic year! Paid part-time research positions will be available in the fall, and you can visit http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/getinvolved/internships to see currently available positions. People from all disciplines, universities, and backgrounds are encouraged to attend the Open House to familiarize yourself with the Berkman Center and explore opportunities to join us in our research. We look forward to seeing you there! Refreshments will be served. For more information visit: http://cyber.law.harvard. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:31:14 +0100 868263 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2010/09/01/historic-mercury-launch-pad-reimagined-as-classroom/ Read the full story at Mother Nature Network. The launch pad used by the first United States astronauts to enter orbit around Earth may soon be revived as an engineering classroom for a new generation of rocket builders, where laid-off space shuttle technicians are the teachers. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:08:00 +0100 868400 http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=4725&BlogID=61&BlogPostID=7516  This year, third grader Marsha Cassano, has vowed to have a neat desk at all times, and will never get in trouble. She has even signed a contract with her parents to show that she was very serious about  these resolutions. Marsha has also stated that she is going to be nicer to her nemesis, Roger Friday, and not argue with him at all. Unfortunately, on the first day of school, there is Roger, back to teasing her, and Marsha responds by accidentally slamming her desk on Roger's fingers. This is NOT the way she intended the first day to go, especially with the new student teacher, Miss Murtland, being in class.   Things then go from bad to worse when Marsha is assigned to Roger as a book buddy. At first, things are okay, but then something happens where Roger is suspended from school, and it isn't really even his fault. Will Marsha confess? Will Roger come back to school? Read this story to find out! This is a good story that deals with some tough life lessons, lying and atoning for those lies. It is also about giving someone a chance. Recommended for grades 3-5. (Source: Children's Books from Wright Memorial Public Library) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:20:01 +0100 868113 http://www.resourceshelf.com/2010/09/01/online-conference-ebooks-libraries-at-the-tipping-point-sepetember-29-2010/ From the August Issue (Published 8/31/2009) of the Book Industry Study Group Bulletin (BISG): BISG is a supporting organization for several industry conferences each year, including ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point presented by Library Journal & School Library Journal. Sponsored By: OverDrive (Platinum) Gold sponsors: Baker & Taylor; Capstone Digital; Gale Cengage; and Springer Keynote Speakers Ray Kurzweil, National best?selling author Kevin Kelly, Founder, Wired magazine R. David Lankes, Director of the Information Institute, Syracuse U. URL: www.ebook?summit.com ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point is an online conference that functions just like an in?person conference, with keynote speeches, special tracks and an exhibit area. The day?long event will bring together librarians, technology experts, publishers and vendors in a virtual setting to explore how the book is changing in the digital world. Date: September 29, 2010 Time: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. EDT Location: Online event Cost: Early bird pricing extended through August 13, 2010 with registration as low as $19.95 (Source: ResourceShelf) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:21:45 +0100 868115 http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2010/sep/01/classics-janeausten Widmerpool, Anthony Powell's ghastly creation in The Dance To The Music of Time, is a spectre to haunt the middle agedA treat turned up on my doorstep yesterday: a new book called The Midlife Manual, by John O'Connell and Jessica Cargill Thompson. I say treat: with my birthday coming next week, it's all a bit close to the bone. I particularly enjoyed their notion of the midlife literary anti-hero. O'Connell (who reviews thrillers for our Review) and Cargill Thompson picked out Widmerpool, the character from Anthony Powell's 12-novel sequence A Dance To The Music of Time. They describe him thus:A classic type: the cowardly and mediocre yet ambitious idiot whom no one liked at school but who has, thanks to a combination of luck and opportunism, eclipsed you and all your contemporaries to become unthinkably powerful in his chosen sphere – often politics or the media. Every group has a Widmerpool somewhere on its periphery. He's the person you bitch about with your oldest friends after a long, long night out when you're too exhausted to hide the anger and disappointment that's eating you up. Because your Widmerpool never goes away. Indeed,. the degrees of separation between you and him may decrease alarmingly: your paths may cross at a wedding or reunion. When they do, he will patronise you to death. And you will always hate him.I especially enjoyed the reference as I am slowly (with great enjoyment but many deflections) working my way through the Powell. I am now on volume eight, The Soldier's Art. Widmerpool, back in volume one a faintly laughable, essentially friendless schoolboy famous only for his funny overcoat, is now Major Widmerpool. It is the second world war, and our narrator Nick, a mere second lieutenant, has been attached to Widmerpool's office as an assistant, in order to be, as O'Connell and Cargill Thompson have it "patronised to death" by his old school-fellow. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:33:30 +0100 868204 http://web.resourceshelf.com/go/resourceblog/60235 From the August Issue (Published 8/31/2009) of the Book Industry Study Group Bulletin (BISG): BISG is a supporting organization for several industry conferences each year, including ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point presented by Library Journal & School Library Journal. Sponsored By: OverDrive (Platinum) Gold sponsors: Baker & Taylor; Capstone Digital; Gale Cengage; and Springer Keynote Speakers Ray Kurzweil, National [...] (Source: ResourceShelf) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:21:45 +0100 868317 http://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=Censorship_At_The_School_Board_Level_Will_Make_Forgetters_--- Yolen (2005) argued, "Censorship-in the classroom, in the library, at the school board level-will make forgetters of us all." Teachers can see censo (Source: pligg - all) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:00:30 +0100 868119 http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/sep/01/dahlia-lithwick-legal-hero-atticus-finch The Alabama single father's principles have inspired thousands – and somehow become a point of national controversy in the USIt's almost a cliche to say that Atticus Finch is one's legal hero, like saying you like good chocolate or high thread count sheets. Still, I am one of many thousands of people who probably would not have gone to law school were it not for the fictional hero of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, a book that turned 50 in July. I'm not alone on this. Civil rights lawyer Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center says Atticus Finch is the reason he became a lawyer, and the name Atticus has soared up the rankings for popular baby names in the past few years, no doubt because of the straitlaced attorney's status among law graduates.While a handful of grumpy critics have recently taken against Finch for his failure to be more like Thurgood Marshall in the face of his famous defeat at trial, most of us still believe him to be everything a truly great attorney should be: a defender of the voiceless and downtrodden, a protester against mob rule, and the patron saint of hopeless legal causes. The Alabama single father who famously defended a black man, Tom Robinson, who was falsely accused of raping a white woman in the Jim Crow American south, has stood the test of time despite the fact that Atticus is almost too eloquent, ethical, honest and forbearing.As a high-school student encountering Finch for the first time, I was shattered by his quiet moral certainty, his commitment to non-violence, and his electrifying gift for cross-examination. He represented the rule of sanity over hysteria, principle over passion, and tolerance over fear. Oddly enough, as I've grown older, I've also come to admire his skills as a parent, a professional, a member of his community, and even – anachronistic as it may sound – his dedication to work-life balance as the single parent of two children. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:59:08 +0100 868028 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/sep/01/headteachers-literature-children-education-training Roald Dahl's Miss Trunchbull or Gillian Cross's Demon Headmaster demonstrate the exercise of power, study findsThey may be sadistic figures who hate children, but a study suggests that the savage portrayal of headteachers in children's literature possesses a grain of truth and may even be helpful when it comes to training teachers who aspire to lead schools.Characters like Miss Agatha Trunchbull, from Roald Dahl's Matilda, or the Demon Headmaster, from the sequence by Gillian Cross, can teach children to think about power and how it can be used for malign purposes, Professor Pat Thomson, director of the centre for research in schools and communities at Nottingham University school of education, has found.The study of 19 fictional headteachers found that nine are portrayed as evil or authoritarian, a further six are remote figures of power, and just one - JK Rowling's Professor Albus Dumbledore - is a positive role model.The study traces the origins of school stories to 19th century British fiction which – in stories aimed at boys – focused on the muscular discipline and militarism required for empire building.The books in the study were published between 1975 and 2009, and included Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events as well as Matilda and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.Many of the books show power can be used corruptly, according to Prof Thomson.Sometimes this can have a contemporary, political twist: in The Inflatable School by Peter Wynne-Willson, the "evil, messianic" Mr Stemple plans to turn his school into an academy sponsored by a business with whom his family has a profitable relationship.Miss Trunchbull is one of only two female heads in the books studied and is described, as "formidable and repulsive". ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:00:10 +0100 868029 http://ksulib.typepad.com/talking/2010/09/blogging-the-loc-an-introduction.html The start of the semester always brings at least a couple people to the Library Help Desk expressing frustration with the way our books are organized. Why isn’t all the fiction together? Why couldn’t you just put History in the “H” section? What happened to the number system I used in high school and at the public library? This year, I’d like to explain it to you. I’ll probably get my official librarian card revoked for revealing these arcane secrets, but I think it’s worth the risk. K-State Libraries, along with most other academic libraries, uses the Library of Congress classification system. It’s a method of grouping resources by topic, just like the Dewey Decimal numbers you’ve probably used before. It’s useful, but highly quirky. It’s a product of a particular time (the early 1900s) and a particular collection of books (those in the Library of Congress), but it’s also the best way most academic libraries have for organizing the vast numbers of resources they contain. The Library of Congress.  Image retrieved from Print and Photograph Online Catalog. The system consists of twenty-one basic classes, each with an associated letter of the alphabet. Five letters were left out: I, O, W, X, Y. I’m going to make a librarianly guess that I and O were too easily confused with 1 and 0. W, X and Y were likely left out for normal end-of-the-alphabet discriminatory practices (or maybe to leave room for eventual additions).  Each of the classes can have multiple subclasses, designated by more letters. Then there are numbers and more letters and more numbers, maybe with some punctuation sprinkled in. We’re not going to delve that deep, though, so no worries. We’ll start next week with “A” and see where it takes us. It will be super geeky, and therefore completely awesome. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868722 http://ricklibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/09/50th-anniversary-of-first-grade-and.html Today is the fiftieth anniversary of my starting first grade at the Reagan County Elementary School in Big Lake, Texas. Having been to kindergarten (it was not required at the time), I knew my alphabet but I was not really reading yet. I was soon. So I am going to declare this as the 50th anniversary of my learning to read, a skill and pleasure that I appreciate more and more as I age.I remember the excitement of that first day. One of the first formalities was getting desk assignments. For first graders, our school had two student desks with shelves dividing the space under the desk. If my memory is true, I shared a desk first with Caron Johnson. We were given jumbo size crayons, big pencils, and paper with lines to help us learn to write our letters. I remember also that my cousin Hub was added to the class later in the day. Pete, Mike, and I probably walked home together after school, as we would many days. It was only four short blocks (two east and two south) and hard to get lost in Big Lake.I wish there were some pictures of that first day. Of course, there were no digital cameras then and my immediate family did not even owned a Brownie Instamatic at the time. I bet many families had no cameras back then, which made school pictures truly valuable. I wish that I knew where my first grade class picture was. My sister found my 3rd grade class picture* among some of her things a few years back. Many of these same students were in both classes. So imagine them two years younger.I remember we were soon assigned into reading groups and started reading the famous Dick and Jane books. "See Dick. See Jane. See Spot. See Spot run." I liked the books a lot. They were really easy to read. Actually, everything was easy. We wrote our letters, started addition and subtraction, and drew many pictures. The only thing hard for me was staying still during nap time. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868421 http://librarychronicles.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html#2451238228104719539 Apparently these UNO students affected by the Governor's budget cuts agree A student demonstration at the University of New Orleans turned rowdy today when protesters scuffled with campus police, who arrested two of them and led them away in handcuffs in a police cruiser. One of the students was sprayed by police with mace. At least no one was tazed. Longtime readers will note that I am no fan of attention-whoring protest events. But, in this case, I will at least give the students credit for storming offices and injuring ankles and stuff. They could have just painted themselves blue, recited some poetry and called it a day. This, I think, at least shows some commitment. Plus UNO Chancellor Tim Ryan is kind of a tool anyway. I hope they broke some of his shit.In all seriousness, though, these kids should head of to Baton Rouge where they could perhaps find their way into the Governor's office. After all, it's Jindal's budget cuts that are bringing all this trauma about in the first place.UNO students and personnel are irate because about $14.5 million in state money already has been sliced from the school's budget since January 2009 and because more cuts may combine academic departments and eliminate majors in fields such as management, marketing, English, science, mathematics and social studies. There would be a sharp reduction in the number of part-time teachers, faculty teaching loads would increase, and class sizes would be larger.Participants in the Rising Tide 5 Politics Panel pulled no punches with Jindal. Jacques Morial and Clancy Dubos repeatedly referred to the Governor as a "hypocrite". Even Jeff Crouere confessed himself "disappointed" and said he suspects the Governor's ambitions and priorities lie outside of the state. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868409 http://outofthejungle.blogspot.com/2010/09/30-ways-to-rate-college.html The Chronicle of Higher Education has a short article that surveys the ways that different organizations rate colleges. Dated August 29, 2010, by Alex Richards and Ron Coddington, the article is mostly an interactive map, which lays out on the left six different publications which rate colleges. Then, it lays out on the right, eight blocks of categories on which each organization ranks the colleges:* Admissions selectivity and student demographics* Evaluations * Finances and spending* International diversity* Service* Financial aid* Student, faculty and alumni achievement* TeachingIn each category, are from two to seven measures. Next to each measure is a circle with a number showing the number of raters who use that measure to rank colleges. The interactive feature lets you click on the publication name and "turn off" their lines on the map, or turn them back on. Some of the categories listed above are fairly straightforward and self-explanatory. But others are less so. For instance, the two measures under "Service" are:* Army/Navy ROTC size* Alumni serving in the Peace Corps Each of those measures has one publication using that measure to rate colleges, by the way, Washington Monthly. Some of the measures are strange and make you wonder what it actually has to do with the quality of the school. "Percentage of federal work-study grants focused on community service," for instance, might tell you something interesting, but I am not sure what it tells you about the quality of the school. That appears as a student demographic, and is measured by Washington Monthly. You can argue a lot about what any of these numbers tell you about a college, and whether the numbers alone tell you anything worth knowing. The point of the article is actually how few points of agreement there are among the various organizations that rate colleges on the measures they use for ranking. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868406 http://rabid-librarian.blogspot.com/2010/09/reflecting.html I agree wholeheartedly with Rachel Maddow (via Joe.My.God.): This, for those who have not read back that far, is the post I put up on March 19, 2003--the day the United States invaded Iraq: I watched the news tonight with a sick feeling in my stomach. I do not agree with this war that our president and his supporters seem so hell-bent on. But I also realise that it is inevitable. I thought so from the moment Bush was declared the winner in the election-long before the attacks of September 11th. I only hope that it may be accomplished without the loss of innocent lives. I rather think that is a faint hope--so the people of the Middle East and our soldiers and those of our allies are very much in my thoughts and prayers tonight. As much as I am against this war (for I do not believe it is a just one, or one that must be fought to avert an imminent threat to my country), I don't agree with those who would protest by disrupting daily life. After all, that seems to be more a tactic that terrorists would approve. I guess I'm more of the candlelight vigil-type peacenik than the sign-waving type. Or maybe the pick-up-the-pieces-do-what-you-can-in-the-aftermath sort. And as a child of the Vietnam Era, I can't support verbal or other attacks on our soldiers, even though we have an all-volunteer military these days. After all, many of them joined up to see if they could get money for school or otherwise better life for themselves and their families. Most gung-ho idiots I've ever known who really wanted to go to war were singularly unsuited for military life and were drummed out or never accepted in the first place. I did not agree with the Gulf War, but at least in that case Iraq had invaded a neighbouring country; and I was frustrated that to have started everything in motion they didn't "finish" it by removing Hussein. I felt that we (and by we, I mean the UN, rather than the US alone) should have intervened in Bosnia long before we did). ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868365 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LansingLibraryTeenNewsBlog/~3/lL0i-FS-78U/september-book-of-month.html Fat Kid Rules the WorldBy K.L. GoingTroy Billings isn’t just a fat kid. Troy is the fat kid. He is the fat kid that huffs and puffs when he breathes. He’s the fat kid that trips over everything. He’s the fat kid that jiggles when he runs. Worst of all, Troy is the fat kids that will always make people laugh, especially when it’s at his expense and would not be funny if a skinny person was involved. One day, Troy was standing on the edge of a subway platform, carefully considering how humorous it would be if he propelled his almost 300 pounds into the subway tunnel and splattered against a speeding train. Apparently, Troy found the scenario very amusing and started laughing. Troy’s fit of giggles was interrupted by a voice crammed in a tiny corner belonging to the dirtiest, skinniest boy Troy had ever seen. This was the day Troy met the infamous high school legend, Curt MacCrae.At first, Troy is in awe that the Curt MacCrae, the most amazing guitar player ever, is sitting in front of him. The astonishment continues as Curt demands Troy buy him dinner. He did, after all, save Troy’s life. It’s from there that Curt reveals his twisted brainchild; Curt and Troy are going to be a band. The biggest problem, other than his weight issue, is that Troy doesn’t know how to play the drums. But Curt has decreed it and now it is so. Troy takes Curt home with him where there is a run-in with Troy’s ex-military father and jock brother. Curt wiggles his way into their home and becomes a staple in the Billings home in the hopes that Troy and his family can help him get clean, while Troy is introduced firsthand to the world of underground punk rock and wonders if he could ultimately rule the world.While the plot of Fat Kid Rules the World may be a bit slow or non-existent at times, Going thrusts the story forward purely by relationships and self-actualization. ... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868332 http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/09/psas-paid-for-by-us-encourage-illegal.html Dolores Huerta is a hard core socialist who is preaching to school children, on our dollar, that Venezuela is great, they've got free healthcare, they're building factories where everybody has a right to a job. [She doesn't point out our free healthcare at every ER and SCHIP, Medicaid, food stamps, rent subsidies, etc. because they probably already know that.] "But she goes further than just saying how great Venezuela is. In our high schools this is her talking about America." An audio of her was played on the Glenn Beck show today. She also told the school children (again on our dollar) that Republicans hate Hispanics. You know folks, it's illegal to hire illegals.Here's a Department of Labor public service announcement (PSA) on our tax dollar.U.S. Labor Sec. Hilda Solis’ 30-second script: I’m U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and it is a serious problem when workers [legal or not] in this country are not being paid every cent they earned. Remember every worker in America has the right to be paid fairly whether documented or not.Why encourage illegals to come here if capitalism will go under and they have a government they fled? (Source: Collecting my Thoughts) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868228 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/09/students-think-electronic-attendance-system-treats-them-like-children.html When classes begin on Monday, some students at Northern Arizona University will have a little extra incentive to roll out of bed for that 8 a.m. calculus class.The school is installing electronic scanners outside some large lecture halls to track attendance. NAU may be the first American educational institution to try the technology. About 3 in every 10 students drop out after the first year. And if something as simple as going to class could help turn that around, Pugliesi thinks it's appropriate to make it a priority. Read more at: (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868096 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/09/new-legislation-protects-college-students-from-credit-card-abuse.html The landmark federal legislation that overhauled the credit card industry is now reaching into college campuses to protect students like Shaw as they return to school and attempt to juggle not only their education and social lives but also how to pay for it all. The law, which was passed in 2009 and phased in this year, bans issuers from providing credit cards to people under age 21 unless another adult co-signs for it or the student can show an independent source of income. (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868093 http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=4004&BlogID=39&BlogPostID=7497 The Newport High School football team makes it annual trip to the library to help get ready for the book sale. The team makes a human chain from the tent outside up to the third floor moving a year's supply of books. Thanks guys! (Source: Richards Free Library News from Richards Free Library) Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:20:01 +0100 867956 http://146.74.224.231/archives/2010/08/californias_dig.html California's Free Digital Textbook Initiative provides students, teachers and parents access to free digital high school textbooks that meet California's academic content standards. Textbooks are free to view or download. Search SCCL's catalog, browse the full list of eBooks or go direct to Digital Textbook Initiative's website to access any of the 30 textbooks available. (Source: Santa Clara County Library - The Latest SCCoop) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:54:28 +0100 868145 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/31/tony-blair-a-journey-northern-ireland-god Preview of the contents of Tony Blair's memoir A Journey, in which he describes meetings with Ian Paisley'I was sure God would want peace'Tony Blair advised Ian Paisley to "let God guide him" in the final stages of the Northern Ireland peace negotiations which led to the historic power-sharing agreement between the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin in 2007.As prime minister, Blair was wary of talking about his Christian faith on the advice of Alastair Campbell, who famously said: "We don't do God."But in his chapter on Northern Ireland Blair writes that he held long discussions about faith with Paisley, who co-founded the DUP and led it until 2008.Blair writes that his meetings with Paisley in his Downing Street "den" always and their meetings dealt with Northern Ireland "at a spiritual rather than a temporal level". At one point Paisley gave him a prayer book for his youngest child, Leo.Of one such meeting, he writes: "Once, near the end, he asked me whether I thought God wanted him to make the deal that would seal the peace process. I wanted to say yes, but I hesitated; though I was sure God would want peace, God is not a negotiator. I felt it would be wrong, manipulative, to say yes, and so I couldn't answer that question, that only he could and I hoped he would let God guide him."Blair also writes of strong relationships with Sinn Féin leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, even admitting he developed a soft spot for them. "They were an extraordinary couple," he said of the two men, who have been at the highest levels of republican movement since the early 1970s. "Over time I came to like both greatly, probably more than I should have, if truth be told … They were supreme masters of the distinction between tactics and strategy. They knew the destination and they were determined to bring their followers with them, or at least the vast bulk of them. ... Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:46:00 +0100 868032 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2010/08/31/judge-rules-that-cuts-to-stony-brook-southampton-violate-state-law/ Read the full story in the Southampton News. Note that Stony Brook Southampton is a four-year college with a curriculum that focuses on environmental sustainability. A State Supreme Court judge ruled Monday that Stony Brook University’s decision to close the dorms and slash academic programs at Stony Brook Southampton was illegal — a zero-hour development in a months-long fight to preserve the satellite campus. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:25:39 +0100 868073 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BabyBoomerLibrarian/~3/__YszJwmlaE/guest-post-so-you-want-to-be.html The following is a guest post from Lisa Rabey. It was originally posted on LITA-L on August 31, 2010. I started my MLIS in the fall of 2008 and before I started school, I spent a lot of time researching information on the career field and also looking for blogs/journals/etc about the process of researching schools, to what kind of classes would benefit me coupled with my own background (10 years in technology, plus a BA and a MA), and anything really from those who were in the current throes of school. There was, at least then, very little. While I did find a load of stuff about librarianship from those in the field, but I also found that many of the blogs/journals/books were also outdated or getting close to being outdated. Secondly, I found that most online communities/networking sites tended to be filled with the same type of questions: What schools are the best? Should I take the GRE? I have a background in X, would this be applicable to becoming a librarian?  To me at the time, that wasn't quite what I was looking for. I decided to put together series of blog posts on what I thought would be helpful to others considering going to lib school ranging from determining what type of school one should choose, lecture delivery, job placement, programs available, how to determine your career path, what other professions/career paths a MLIS can be used for and on to job hunting and more: http://shesgotplans.net/so-you-want-to-be-a-librarianarchivist/ *It should be noted that ALA has the above bookmarked in their delicious account to pass on to others seeking the same answers. I've gotten loads of emails from people over the last two years telling me how invaluable the information is to them and that it helped clarify or solidify their decisions to not only attend lib school, but also helped them sort out what type of librarian or archivist they wanted to be. ... Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:12:00 +0100 868008 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2010/08/31/science-resources-for-teachers/ Read the full post from the Library of Congress. Keeping with the back to school theme I thought it might be helpful if I outlined some of our K-12 science material that was specifically created for teachers, students, and parents. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:02:03 +0100 868080 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FreakonomicsBlog/~3/mhYk6ryETks/ hildren in Nigeria will soon have a new TV option. Sesame Square, a local version of Sesame Street voiced and produced by Nigerians (and funded by a grant from USAID), will "focus on the same challenges faced by children in a country where many have to work instead of going to school: AIDS, malaria nets, gender equality - and yams, a staple of Nigerian meals." (Source: Freakonomics Blog) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:00:25 +0100 867861 http://plablog.org/2010/08/applications-available-for-state-farm-good-neighbor-service-learning-grants.html State Farm is teaming up with Youth Service America (YSA) to offer grants of up to $1,000 to youth-led service-learning initiatives in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Eligible programs will engage youth in service-learning, an effective teaching and learning strategy that promotes student learning, academic achievement, workplace readiness, and healthy communities. State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants encourage semester-long projects (following YSA’s Semester of Service framework) that launch on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, January 17, 2011, and culminate on Global Youth Service Day, April 15-17, 2011. Eligible candidates include teachers, service-learning coordinators, and students in a public school, or staff and youth in a community-based organization working with a public school. YSA will host two application webinars, September 7 and October 7, for applicants to learn more about developing a successful project. Webinar registration information and application materials are available at the YSA Web site. (Source: PLA Blog) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:43:01 +0100 867921 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2010/08/31/engaging-lifecycle-of-stuff-lesson-plans/ Students are surrounded by “stuff” – from blue jeans to the latest cell phone – in their everyday lives. With Buy, Use, Toss? A Closer Look at the Things We Buy, a comprehensive unit on consumption that is aligned with standards in all 50 U.S. states, your students will investigate the lifecycle of products as they do things such as… Gain math and science skills while determining ways to reduce the carbon footprint of shipping blue jeans, Engage in civic discourse during a discussion of how we dispose of our waste, Develop corporate policies to protect workers and consumers, and Gain media literacy skills while analyzing ads. This resource, available from Face the Future at no charge, includes a series of ten fully-planned lessons designed for grades 9-12 which will lead your students through an exploration of the production and consumption of goods – a system called the materials economy. Students critically analyze the sustainability of the steps of this system, determining how consumption can benefit people, economies, and environments. Free webinar Want to learn more about Buy, Use, Toss? Attend an online professional development workshop – no travel, no costs! Facing the Future will be hosting a live webinar about Buy, Use, Toss? on Wednesday September 29 at 3:00 pm PST. During this 45 minute web seminar, we will explore the 10 lessons in the curriculum unit, learn about its development, and hear how educators have used it to engage their students. Register for the webinar at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/520262465. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:25:07 +0100 868083 http://www.resourceshelf.com/2010/08/31/classroom-ready-constitution-day-resources-featured-on-federal-courts-website/ Classroom-Ready Constitution Day Resources Featured on Federal Courts’ Website Constitution Day, also known as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, is observed nationally on September 17 every year. In 2004, Congress mandated that schools receiving federal funding provide education about the Constitution to commemorate the principles and practices protected and provided for in the Constitution. The theme of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day 2010 is jury service, an obligation and privilege of American citizens. The classroom/courtroom resources here are ready for immediate use without preparation or research. Source: U.S. Courts (Source: ResourceShelf) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:18:54 +0100 867910 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/aug/31/heart-of-darkness-graphic-novel Artist Catherine Anyango tells how her richly-detailed drawings reflect the dense style of Joseph Conrad's savage colonial storyIn the 108 years since it was published, Joseph Conrad's colonial fable Heart of Darkness has infected TS Eliot, been excoriated for racism by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe and transplanted to Vietnam by Francis Ford Coppola.Now the book has been reinterpreted as a graphic novel in whose monochrome pages Conrad's exploration of power, greed and madness plays out as disturbingly as ever.Catherine Anyango, whose drawings are peppered with David Zane Mairowitz's adaptation of the text, had her doubts about tackling the Polish-born novelist's most famous work.Those reservations had more to do with the original medium than the enduring controversy over Conrad's views or the familiarity of Heart of Darkness."I wasn't sure initially if it was a good subject for a graphic novel as the writing is so dense and the style of it is partly what attracts me to the book," she said."As I knew we couldn't keep most of the text in, I tried to make the drawings very rich in detail and texture so that immersive feeling you get, especially when he describes the river and the jungle, was carried across."Anyango was determined not to allow the horror of the book's subject matter to overwhelm her drawings. "I wanted to draw the reader in with seductive imagery, and then show them that even in the most beautiful of settings, terrible things can happen."There was also Coppola's 1979 epic to contend with."I was too terrified to watch Apocalypse Now," the Kenyan-Swedish artist said. "Partly because I didn't want to end up with any similar visuals and also I had been warned that something nasty happens to a cow … [but] Apocalypse Now is huge and well, apocalyptic, but Heart of Darkness is a much quieter story. ... Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:54:57 +0100 867829 http://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=Top_25_Online_Schools_in_2010_Top_25_Online_Schools_in_2010_--- As a student, you will have access to a wide array of support services, including 24-hour technical support, academic advising, on-demand tutoring, (Source: pligg - all) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:00:28 +0100 867729 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/aug/31/reading-libraries-literacy-challenge As government cuts threaten libraries, the Reading Agency comes to their defence with a success story – the Summer Reading ChallengeWith the government looking in every direction to wield its cost-cutting axe, the Reading Agency last week put out a plea that libraries should "not be a soft target for cuts". The declaration came in response to statistics released by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport last week showing that nearly two-thirds of Britons didn't visit a library last year. That triggered fears that the figures were a prelude to mass library closures.The Reading Agency hit back, saying "where libraries offer a more dynamic, interactive reading service, the public respond with alacrity". One of its textbook examples was the Summer Reading Challenge (SRC), its literary initiative that encourages thousands of children to become avid readers every year.Since its creation 12 years ago, the SRC has become an annual part of the long holidays for more than 750,000 children aged four to 11. Every year there's a theme: this year it's outer space, so children are encountering foil aliens, Plasticine planets and more. The libraries then display relevant books, distribute reading rewards such as stickers, certificates, folders and charts, and encourage children to read six or more books during the holidays.On a warm summer afternoon in Wherwell, a small village in Hampshire, a bus covered in pictures of fairies and monsters has pulled up outside the local primary school. It's attracting scores of children, who chat excitedly as they await their turn. But this is no ice-cream van drawing the crowds: it's a library bus, and one of almost 4,000 libraries around the UK running projects encouraging children to read over the holidays as part of the reading challenge.Among those standing in line at Hampshire's library bus this year are the Collis family – Deborah and her children Natasha, seven, and Isabella, five. ... Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:45:04 +0100 867830 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/asPof8eEOLw/legal-ebooks-and-the-institutional-buyer-an-llb-poll-on-use-acquisition-interest-and-market-penetrat.html Since the advent of full-text search in the late 1970s-early 1980s, law libraries have tended to be at the forefront of technological innovation in the provision of resources to its users. When one reads what general public libraries are doing... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868567 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/2m0uQ8d9M0A/the-debate-again-on-teaching-lawyering-skills-in-law-school.html The National Law Journal site published an article yesterday on one of my favorite topics: practical legal education. The article focuses on the article Preaching What They Don't Practice: Why Law Faculties' Preoccupation with Impractical Scholarship and Devaluation of Practical... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868565 http://bhplnjbookgroup.blogspot.com/2010/08/day-falls-stood-still-by-cathy-buchanan.html The library book group will meet this Friday, September 3 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan. The heroine of the book is Bess Heath, whose schooling at the Loretto Academy boarding school abruptly ends after her junior year when her father loses his job as director of the power company on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Bess becomes a dressmaker, but it is a life that she chooses so that she can be with Tom Cole, the grandson of the legendary man who could predict disasters on the falls and saved dozens of people who ignored his predictions (based on real-life riverman William Hill).An interview with Buchanan and discussion questions can be found on the publisher HarperCollins' web site. Be sure to check out the author's post, 10 Things You Never Knew About Niagara Falls, from her blog tour last year. Another guest post from the tour, Peeking Between the Pages, will give you a look at the stunning historical photos that are reprinted in the book - click on them to see them in much greater detail. Cathy Marie Buchanan's web site has an interactive map of the landmarks of Niagara Falls which is also interesting. (Source: Berkeley Heights Public Library Book Blog and Buzz) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100 868226 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/08/incoming-students-are-treated-as-young-donors.html On a growing number of campuses, first-year students are hearing another message. Please give. Not for tuition, but instead as a young donor. With alumni-giving rates at record lows and lagging state support of postsecondary education, public and private schools alike are focusing their efforts on building lifetime loyalty among still-impressionable students. "We are unapologetically laying out expectations for their relationship with Penn," said Elise Betz, executive director of alumni relations. "Before our students enter a classroom, they are given this message." Read more at: (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100 867874 http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.education.web4lib/16773 ***Apologies for cross-posting*** DL.org Autumn School on Digital Libraries and Digital Repositories - Discounted fee extended until 10th September 2010 DL.org Autumn School on Digital Libraries and Digital Repositories: Modelling, Best Practices, and Interoperability 3-8 October 2010 University of Athens Athens, Greece http://www.dlorg.eu/index.php/autumn-school The European project, DL.org (Digital Library Interoperability, Best Practices and Modelling Foundations) is delighted to announce its Autumn School on "Digital Libraries and Digital Repositories: Modelling, Best Practices, and Interoperability", which takes place in Athens, Greece, 3-8 October 2010. Program Participation in the DL.org Autumn School (http://www.dlorg.eu/index.php/autumn-school/programme) will assist attendees in understanding of how to address interoperability challenges within the context of digital library and digital repositories, along the perspectives of content, user, functionality, policy, quality and arch (Source: gmane.education.web4lib) Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100 867790 http://kairosnews.org/generation-quotborn-into-web-20quot-char I'd thought I'd throw out some characteristics of my son's generation rather than wait for ten years or so to see how they represent themselves in a Pew and American Life study. He's almost eleven years old. His is the generation that was born into Web 2.0 and other advanced digital technology. I know this isn't true for all kids his age (and it may be more true for boys--I don't know), but it's fun to imagine: Many of them would rather take videos than still pictures. They either have themselves, or have a friend close in age, who has put up a video on YouTube. They either have themselves, or have a friend close in age, who has been in a YouTube video. They have their own computer, or at least one that is shared with siblings and not the adults in the family. They share websites and videos they find on the Internet. They have email accounts and send and receive email on occassion. They have played an MMORPG designed for kids along with other kids in their school. My son and friends at school, boys and girls alike, play Wizard 101. They have mobile phones and have sent and/or received text messages. Some are used to watching television and/or movies without commerical interruptions, and they will prefer the use of a DVD, Blueray, DVR, Tivo, or Netflix on demand to avoid commercials. They have more than one game system, at least a DS and a console unit. Cable television is not their sole, primary form of digital entertainment. Video games and the Internet have a strong, competing role for their attrention. Mp3 players are the primary music listening device that they own. Radio is something they listen to in the car when there are no CDs, the DS is not with them, and they forgot the mp3 player. It's the electronic media of last resort. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:15:31 +0100 867774 http://gnomicutterance.livejournal.com/50138.html A friend to whom I will refer as Jules Léotard recently pointed me towards this lengthy video which is the product of Focus on the Family's "True Tolerance" program.Direct URL / Video in accessible playerThe video points parents towards the stealthy methods those "sneaky" homosexual activists are using to get into the schools, such as devious, wicked anti-bullying campaigns. (The fact that 23.2% of students who have been bullied at school because someone perceived them to be queer attempt suicide is apparently irrelevant to these people, who provide a [PDF] "model anti-bullying policy" which is not intended to prohibit expression of religious, philosophical, or political views. Presumably including "you're going to hell for being gay.")Anyway, their list of [PDF] devious homosexual agenda books you might find in your school makes me sad, because the only thing in there that counts as fantasy or science fiction is Uncle Bobby's Wedding. Is that really the state of homosexual agenda children's and YA books in F&SF? Hero, Cycler, and some albeit adorable queer guinea pigs? (I'm exaggerating. Somewhat.)It doesn't work that way in my mind, where I forget that Tally Youngblood never hooked up with Shay; that it was just subtext in King of Shadows; that none of those gay best friends in paranormal romances are the main characters. This is a good time of year to remind myself that for all I am used to seeing the intense social conservativism in fantasy, I mustn't discount the strong strain of it in science fiction.Also a good time of year to make the time to read Ash. *goes to request from interlibrary loan*(This is mirrored from an original post at Dreamwidth where there are comments. You can leave a comment here or over there. (Source: Ramblings on Librarianship, Technology, and Academia) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:03:19 +0100 867710 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/aug/30/digested-read-spoilt-rotten-dalrymple Gibson, £14.99If there is a country in the entire world in which childhood is a more wretched experience then I do not know it. Though I seldom travel by public carriage, I see this at bus stops everywhere, with youths swearing and chewing gum. This poison all stems from a romantic, socialist view of education (which doesn't really exist other than as a stereotype in rightwing newspapers), where teachers are told to mark wrong answers as correct in order not to discourage the educationally subnormal.We see this indulgent attitude everywhere, especially in the use of language, with so-called experts such as Steven Pinker – or Steven Pinko as I wittily chose to call him in my lacerating review of his book – believing that there is no such thing as the Queen's English and that immigrants should be encouraged to talk in any patois. It's this kind of sentimental relativism that is destroying the fabric of our society, turning our nation's children into semi-literate morons who leave school equipped to do nothing but stab or impregnate each other and unable to write in long, syntactically tortured sentences, interspersed with irrelevant references to Plato and Locke and the occasional fragmentia of italicised Latin, suppresio veri, suggestio falsi, to make me look clever.After writing a drearily familiar chapter on the Family Impact Statement – a subject that has been done to death by dozens of columnists before and to which I have nothing new to contribute – I walked into a branch of WH Smith in a deprived area of the home counties and was outraged to find the only books on sale to the unfortunates of this cultural blackspot were volumes on My Battle with Cancer and My Parents Abused Me. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:29:02 +0100 867637 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/30/bundesbank-executive-book-race-row Merkel leads calls for Thilo Sarrazin to be sacked over remarks about migrants being 'unfit or unwilling to integrated' into societyThe German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has called for the dismissal from the central bank of a prominent board member who has repeatedly said that Muslim immigrants in Germany are unfit and unwilling to integrate into society.The Bundesbank said that comments made by Thilo Sarrazin in a highly publicised new book were harmful to the bank and violated its code of conduct. It said it would meet with the banker before deciding about his future.Sarrazin has unleashed an impassioned debate about Germany's immigrant population by saying that the behaviour of its members is putting the country under threat.His thesis, set out in a book published today , has stoked the wrath of politicians, and Muslim and Jewish groups, and led to calls for his dismissal from his €230,000 a year (£188,000) Bundesbank post and from the Social Democratic party (SPD).Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said that Sarrazin's remarks had "clearly damaged the national and international standing of the bank" and managers should consider his future.But Sarrazin has received the backing of others who say the former politician is merely outlining issues and concerns about integration that have remained taboo for too long.In Deutschland Schafft Sich Ab, or Germany is Digging its Own Grave, Sarrazin argues that most of the country's immigrants cannot be integrated into society and contribute nothing to it.He also blames foreigners – mainly Germany's Muslim population – for "dumbing down" society. He says that the rate at which Muslim women are reproducing means that Germans may soon become "strangers in their own country".The book is already a bestseller and has prompted comparisons to Geert Wilders, the head of the Dutch far-right Freedom party. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:18:07 +0100 867638 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2010/08/30/bbc-dimensions/ Dimensions takes important places, events and things, and overlays them onto a map of where you are. Plug in your zip code (postcode in Brit-speak) or location to start. Default appears to be area covered by the 2011 Pakistan floods, but you can choose from many different categories, including environmental disasters. Not only a great tool for teachers, but for anybody who has trouble comprehending the scope of really large events. It’s  an excellent example of using pictures to make abstract data meaning meaningful. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:12:40 +0100 867777 http://www.docuticker.com/?p=37269 Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups Source: National Center for Education Statistics This report profiles current conditions and recent trends in the education of students by racial and ethnic group. It presents a selection of indicators that illustrate the educational achievement and attainment of White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students. This report presents 29 indicators that provide information and examine (1) demographics, (2) patterns of preprimary, elementary, and secondary school enrollment; (3) student achievement, (4)persistence; (5) student behaviors that can affect their education; (6) participation in postsecondary education; and (7) outcomes of education. + Full Report (PDF) (Source: Docuticker) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:49:49 +0100 867688 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BabyBoomerLibrarian/~3/2WrlOs2SKgY/jobs-posting-systems-emerging.html SYSTEMS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES LIBRARIAN Murphy Library at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is seeking a dynamic, student-centered librarian to work in a team- oriented library environment. Responsibilities include: provide leadership, vision, and expertise related to library systems and technologies that increase and enhance access to academic resources at UW - La Crosse; identify, evaluate, implement, and teach the use of new technologies that facilitate information access and that contribute to the development of library-related learning materials; participate in reference, information literacy instruction, collection development, collegial governance, and library committees as well as campus and professional activities. The library recognizes and values diversity in its faculty, staff, and students. We seek a colleague who shares the library's commitment to diversity and who will be a dedicated librarian and mentor for students with diverse backgrounds, preparation, and career goals. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS ALA accredited MLS; experience with integrated library systems and web development applications; ability to manage EZProxy and server technology and to develop and manage tools for extracting evaluative statistics; demonstrated knowledge of desktop, laptop, and handheld computing devices and their related technologies; demonstrated ability to work collegially and communicate effectively. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Professional academic library experience. ENVIRONMENT UW-La Crosse is known for its highly ranked academic programs. La Crosse is famous for its exceptional natural beauty. The city (metropolitan population 100,000) is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River below towering bluffs. Abundant water and woodlands provide year-round recreation sites for skiing, hunting, camping, and other outdoor activities. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:45:00 +0100 867726 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2010/08/30/dallas-residents-can-recycle-used-cooking-oil-at-new-station-at-richland-college/ Read the full story at Pegasus News. Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) and the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) announced the installation of a cooking grease and oil recycling station at Richland College in northeast Dallas, the second recycling station installed on a DCCCD campus this year. A recycling station was installed at Mountain View College in southwest Dallas earlier this summer. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:28:19 +0100 867454 http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/aug/30/raymond-hawkey-obituary Top graphic designer who revolutionised the look of newspapers and book coversRaymond Hawkey, who has died aged 80, was one of the most innovative, influential and imitated graphic designers of the second half of the 20th century. As design director at the Daily Express in its prime in the late 1950s and early 60s, and later at the Observer until the mid-70s, with his introduction of banner headlines, using a simple photographic line technique and sans serif fonts, he not only revolutionised the look of newspapers but also changed the course of the visual culture in Britain.In 1962, while at the Daily Express, Hawkey was asked by the writer Len Deighton, an old friend from Royal College of Art days, to design the cover for The Ipcress File, his first thriller about Harry Palmer, working-class antihero – who was still unnamed. The book's publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, were appalled when they saw Hawkey's Ipcress design – a photograph of a Smith & Wesson revolver, bullets, a cracked War Office canteen teacup and a stubbed-out cigarette. They refused to pay him more than 15 of his 50-guinea fee for his "disgusting" illustration. Deighton made up the rest. Shot with a technique known as "high-key", the cover would later be regarded as one of the key moments in design history.The book became a huge success, and Hawkey went on to create some of Deighton's most memorable covers, including Horse Under Water (1963), Funeral in Berlin (1964) and Close-Up (1972, about a fading Hollywood star). Hawkey spotted Deighton's scribbled recipes in his kitchen, "tidied them up, advised me about the graphics and took them to the Observer," Deighton recalled. They became a popular "cookstrip" feature for many years; and for Hawkey's cover of Deighton's The Action Cookbook (1964), the Ipcress revolver reappeared with a sprig of parsley in the barrel. He later designed covers for Kingsley Amis, Frederick Forsyth and others. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:25:11 +0100 867642 http://www.resourceshelf.com/2010/08/30/meta-collection-free-textbooks-online-and-a-few-other-favorite-freebies/ Open Culture (a wonderful blog that deserves your full attention if you’ve never visited) and led by Dan Colman at Stanford U., has started compiling a collection of free textbooks available on the web. The post mentions to check back often to find new titles. Hopefully, as new titles are added they can be easily found by including an “added on” date or perhaps placed in the collection and on a separate list, with the date added also included. From the Open Culture Text Book Post: Free textbooks (aka open textbooks) written by knowledgeable scholars are a relatively new phenomenon. Below, find a meta list of 150 Free Textbooks, and check back often for new additions. Access the Collection of Free Textbooks You’ll find links to a MANY other free resource on the site and while IT IS included in one several past ResourceShelf posts, we will once again mention the Online Books Page from John Mark Ockerbloom at the University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful place to find FREE full text books from many different sources and collections. The homepage currently says it contains 40,000 titles but our guess is that it is much larger as the 40K number hasn’t changed in several months as new titles pour in. We would also suggest that the “New Listings” page is not only a tribute to Ockerbloom’s hard work but a resource that should be looked at often. New titles are added several times a week (most weeks). Amazing! Look at how much was added from a huge number of sources and collections in just last week. “New Listings” even has its own RSS feed. Two More Favorites That We’ve Mentioned Many Times: OpenLibrary and WatchKnow First, the great work that George Oates and the team at the Open Library are doing. They’re building a database of free books and other material (bibliographic data) very powerful but easy to use. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:41:38 +0100 867562 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FreakonomicsBlog/~3/HgTMGg5fAmo/ Kal Raustiala, a professor at UCLA Law School and the UCLA International Institute, and Chris Sprigman, a professor at the University of Virginia Law School, are experts in counterfeiting and intellectual property. They have been guest-blogging for us about copyright issues. Today, they write about new efforts to extend copyright law to the fashion industry. (Source: Freakonomics Blog) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:34:25 +0100 867461 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2010/aug/30/usa-most-challenged-books A conversation this weekend got me thinking about book-banning in America. This list on amazon.com purports to be of the 20 most challenged and banned books in the US. You can Google around. Other lists seem similar.I haven't heard of most of these. They're children's books. Numero uno is called Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, which is a trilogy by a fellow called Alvin Schwartz. Its Wikipedia page cites the issues as being its "religious viewpoint and violence as well as for being occultist, satanic, or inappropriate."Number two is Daddy's Roommate, with which Sarah Palin had a contentious history of some sort as we learned in 2008. Heather Has Two Mommies is on there too. As I've told you previously, I was a young reporter when those books came out, in 1989, and were first proposed for introduction into New York City schools under the aegis of then-chancellor Joe Fernandez's cloyingly named "Rainbow Curriculum." All right, conservatives: sometimes I can see why liberals bug you. At any rate I still own pristine first-edition copies from those days. Depending on how things go in this country, they may really be worth something someday or they may land me in the hoosegow.The only actual literature: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (3); Huck Finn (5); Of Mice and Men (6); Catcher in the Rye (10); The Color Purple (17). I would guess that at least Huck Finn and Mice and Men are the targets of campaigns from the identity politics left, for their respective liberal use of the n-word and the portrayal of Lennie. Did George end up killing Lennie? I don't even remember, but that seems to ring a bell. At any rate I was about 14 or 15, and it certainly didn't make me think that I should go out and crush mice in my pocket or kill people with mental disabilities.What's allegedly offensive about The Color Purple? I never read it. Have you ever encountered such a "challenge" where you live?United StatesMichael Tomaskyguardian.co. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:42:12 +0100 867425 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BabyBoomerLibrarian/~3/1WIzFTakgRc/jobs-usa-new-york-albany-seeking.html POSITION:  Associate Director for Collections The University at Albany, SUNY, invites applications and nominations for the position of Associate Director for Collections. Reporting to the Dean and Director of Libraries, this senior administrative position is responsible for building, assessing and managing the Libraries' print and electronic collections, managing a $5 million acquisitions budget, and supervising, coordinating and evaluating the work of the Libraries' subject specialists. Responsibilities also include oversight of gifts, Special Collections, University Archives, and the Preservation Department. As a member of the senior administrative group, the Associate Director shares responsibility for developing and implementing the mission, goals and broad policy directions for the University Libraries. Albany is looking for an experienced, creative, forward-thinking leader with a keen sense of the evolving role of research libraries in the digital age and demonstrated knowledge of best practices and current trends in collection management and scholarly communication.  The Associate Director works actively with academic schools and departments to determine selective areas of excellence and growth to be reflected in the Libraries' collection investment. S/he is responsible for coordinating initiatives with other associate directors and library managers, advising and mentoring junior faculty, and promoting staff professional growth. S/he represents the Libraries on collaborative projects with other campus units and other libraries.  The Associate Director demonstrates commitment to personal professional development through scholarly research and publication, presentations, and participation in national professional associations. Required: Graduate degree in librarianship from an ALA-accredited institution and from a college or university accredited by a U. S. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:32:00 +0100 867416 http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/madreads/index.php/2010/08/30/whats-in-a-name/ Two young men with the same name were featured in the Baltimore Sun in December 2000.  One was named a Rhodes Scholar and the other was wanted for allegedly killing a police offi­cer in an armed rob­bery.  These two young men started out on very similar paths - how did their lives turn out so differently? The full story of what happened is told by Wes Moore, the Rhodes Scholar, veteran, White House Fellow and successful businessman in The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates. This book should be required reading for all middle school students.  That’s around the age things really started to fall apart for the other Wes Moore. Both boys grew up with loving mothers who wanted their sons to succeed and tried their very best to protect them from a tough environment.  Both boys had other family members looking out for them.  Both boys were bright but had issues with school.  Both boys rebelled at about the same age.  One got sent to military school and the other started dealing drugs.  By the time they were teenagers, their futures were set.  One was on his way to becoming an officer in the military and the other had been arrested multiple times and was headed toward life in prison. Man, is this a sobering book.  I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but I’m so glad that I read it.  Even though the subject matter is heavy, it’s very readable.  Author Wes Moore is even-handed with details and was able to obtain in-depth background information from the other Wes Moore and his family, as well as family photos.  I imagine this title will also be popular with book groups.  There’s much to discuss. (Source: MADreads) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:04:30 +0100 867556 http://www.wislisjobs.com/academic.htm#globeappleton (Source: Wislisjobs Academic Library Jobs) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:50:02 +0100 867369 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=7684 State: New Jersey library.princeton.edu/hr/positions/JobRefLibrnSpColl2008.html Position Summary: The Special Collections Reference Librarian is responsible for reference services in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Department in Firestone Library and works closely with the Assistant University Archivist for Public Services at the Mudd Manuscript Library to coordinate public services for all of Special Collections. This person supervises the work of three support staff and coordinates the delivery of public services with many professionals and support staff who play part-time public service roles in the Department. The position reports to the Associate University Librarian for Rare Books and Special Collections. We seek a generalist with the ability and talent to provide reference services for the myriad subject areas the Department covers. The main reading room in Firestone serves more than 2,500 patrons annually from within and without the University community. Our patrons consult more than 12,000 books, manuscripts, graphic materials, maps, and other items that span many languages and five millennia of recorded history. The Department's public services staff at Firestone also handle approximately 2,500 reference inquiries annually from around the world, provide paper, microfilm, digital, and photographic copies for approximately 16,000 items annually, and gather materials for and host more than 100 classes for approximately 1,500 students during the academic year. The successful candidate must be committed to and be an advocate for public services in the Department, as well as in the wider library system. The ideal candidate will enjoy working with researchers, take up the challenge of problem solving, have a welcoming personality and qualities that will help patrons researching primary sources. The position may work occasional evening or weekend hours. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100 867353 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=7689 State: International The University of Texas at Arlington Job Title Librarian Posting number 10-07-21-01-0100 Job status Open Information: http://utdirect.utexas.edu/pnjobs/index.WBX?comp=1 Check "Professional/Non-faculty" ___ Basic Information Date available 09/01/2010 Position duration Funding expected to continue Position open to all applicants Monthly salary $3333 negotiable depending on qualifications. Hours per week 40.00 Standard from 900AM to 600PM Location Arlington, TX Hiring department Library http://library.uta.edu General notes This is an entry level Science and Engineering Librarian position. Reference desk duty includes one week night, Sunday rotations and occasional holidays. Some instruction includes nights and weekends. Instructions about additional materials to be submitted by all applicants will be provided once you apply. Finalist(s) will be required to give a formal presentation on a library-related topic. Required Application Materials A Resume is required in order to apply. A Letter of Interest is required in order to apply. A List of 3 References is required in order to apply. Additional Information Purpose of position The Science/Engineering Librarian serves as liaison to assigned departments within the Colleges of Science and Engineering; contribute to and supports the Library's mission to foster and promote quality learning, teaching, and research. Essential functions Serves as subject liaison to assigned academic units for promotion and outreach of library services and resources for Science and Engineering disciplines, cultivates partnerships and relationships with faculty, staff and students. Provides general reference while maintaining a service desk area, also provides complex and/or consultative reference and research assistance in assigned subject areas including virtual reference. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100 867350 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=7703 State: Michigan Saginaw Township Community Schools HUMAN RESOURCES and LABOR RELATIONS MEMORANDUM TO:Universities Job Placement Services FROM:Linda Conlay Secretary, Human Resources DATE:August 12, 2010 RE:Teacher Vacancy Saginaw Township Community Schools has an opening for a Library Media Specialist. For details and to apply online: www.stcs.org. Please include in your university placement bulletin and contact any possible applicants registered with your office. Deadline for application: August 22, 2010 If you have any questions, please call the Office of Human Resources at 989-399-8019. Submitted on 2010-08-12 (Source: SLIS Careers Feed) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100 867349 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=7704 State: Michigan Library Media Specialist JobID: 4452 Position Type: Email To A Friend Print Version Closing Date: 07/04/2010 Instructional - High School Date Posted: 6/25/2010 Location: Heritage High School SAGINAW TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Equal Opportunity Employer VACANCY 2010-2011 Library Media Specialist Shared time between White Pine Middle School and Heritage High School. Requirements: Valid Michigan Secondary Teaching Certificate with appropriate certification (ND). Pursuant to Public Act 68 of 1993 and Public Act 83 of 1995, selected new employees shall submit to fingerprints and a criminal background check at the employee's expense. It is the policy of the Board of Education that the District will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on sex, age, race, color, national origin, religion, height, weight, marital status, handicap or disability. The District shall comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination including, but not limited to, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d. et seq.; and 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e, et seq.; The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1210, et seq.; The Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act, MCL §§ 37.1101, et seq.; and The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, MCL §§ 37.2101, et seq.; Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), 29U.S.C. §§ 621, et seq. Inquiries or complaints by applicants or employees related to discrimination should be directed to: Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations Saginaw Township Community Schools 3465 N. Center Road, P.O. Box 6278 Saginaw, MI 48608 TELEPHONE: 989-797-1800 www.stcs.org FAX: 989-797-1801 ________________________________________ Note: Positions open unexpectedly and fill quickly. If you want to apply for positions that are not listed as open, please establish a pre-employment file by completing the online application. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100 867348 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=7733 State: Illinois The Librarian, Career Resource Centers (CRC) responds to thousands of requests for information from students and alumni. This position is responsible for research, development, and delivery of career research materials and instruction for 3,200 students enrolled in the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Chicago Booth) full-time and part-time MBA programs in Chicago, London, and Singapore and more than 40,000 alumni worldwide. The Librarian plays a key role in the transfer of knowledge and ideas by providing students and alumni with access to a wide range of information to facilitate their career advancement efforts including frequent instructional programs on the relevant research tools. This individual manages all aspects of both the Harper and Fisher CRC’s, supervises CRC staff, and works with departmental colleagues to develop complementary and collaborative programming to enhance the overall success of Career Services. The Librarian determines the overall vision and strategy for the CRC’s, including physical space, staff, new resources, and new programs. This person develops and continually monitors best practices. In addition, the Librarian is expected to acquire, maintain, and apply expert knowledge of resources and disseminate that knowledge to relevent constituencies via one-on-one consultations, presentations, and the web (or other forms of media). Lastly, this individual coordinates resources and relationships amongst the Harper CRC, Fisher CRC, Regenstein Library, Computing Services, Faculty, other Booth departments/centers, and Career Services team. PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. As the librarian, determine overall vision and strategy for the CRC’s including physical space, staff, new resources and new programs. Develop and continually monitor best practices. ... Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100 867339 http://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=Top_25_Online_Schools_in_2010_Regionally_Accredited_Colleges As a student, you will have access to a wide array of support services, including 24-hour technical support, academic advising, on-demand tutoring, (Source: pligg - all) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:22 +0100 867357 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/08/message-to-parents-of-new-college-students-is-let-go.html At this time of year, more and more colleges across the country are attempting to teach anxious mothers and fathers a lesson not contained in any traditional curriculum: Let go. Facing a generation of text-messaging parents who are often intensely involved in their offspring's lives and academic careers, many schools are launching or expanding orientation events to inform parents about all sorts of details. More important, campus officials say, is explicit advice aimed at easing the pain of separation for the older generation and discouraging intrusive habits. Read more at: (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100 867492 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/iRcS/~3/UDtzW28jd1Y/texas-tech-university-school-of-laws.html Texas Tech University School of Law's institutional repository is designed to save, store, archive and share Tech Law's digital materials, including research and scholarship of TTU School of Law faculty and students, institutional history, and more (Source: Peter Scott's Library Blog) Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:44:42 +0100 867174