Wikileaks and the PLG

As many are already aware, the Library of Congress has blocked federal works from having access to the Wikileaks website. This statement from the Progressive Librarians Guild came in my inbox this morning:

--------------

On Wikileaks and the Library of Congress: A Statement by the Progressive Librarians Guild


The Progressive Librarians Guild (PLG) condemns in the strongest possible terms the blocking of Wikileaks by the Library of Congress and rejects on all grounds their arguments in defense of this move.

The action is a violation of American librarianship's historic commitments to the public's right to know, to freedom of the press, and to the very essence of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. It is also in violation of the American Library Association's most fundamental commitments to intellectual freedom as embodied in the Library Bill of Rights.

We call on the American Library Association (ALA) to condemn unequivocally this move by the Library of Congress to actively conspire in preventing access to information in the public interest Blocking access to this published information is censorship, plain and simple, and supporting sanctions against reading is endorsing abridgment of intellectual freedom. The documentation’s open publication by
an agency of the free press, Wikileaks, renders its government classification status irrelevant.

For the Library of Congress, blocking access and rationalizing censorship is an unacceptable acquiescence to the government's abusive attempt to put the genie back in the bottle with regards to leaked documents which, among other things, expose the government's own malfeasance, malevolence, and even criminality in the conduct of the people's affairs, in matters of vital public concern, citizen's fullest
knowledge, and discussion of which are in the interest of democracy, freedom, peace, rule of law, and good governance here, and around the world.

We also call on ALA to oppose the government's directives barring individuals in other federal agencies, the armed forces, and working for government contractors from viewing published material
discomfiting to the authorities.

We call on ALA as well to join us in condemning the ongoing and escalating U.S. government-led witch-hunt against Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange.


Progressive Librarians Guild, Coordinating Committee (PLG-CC)
December 4, 2010

Dangerous Mammals

Don't forget about this amazing event I've been planning with the Progressive Librarians Guild at Simmons College! It's open to the public; it would be great to see you there!

Museum/Library Partnerships

Online learning session features successful museum/library partnerships | American Libraries Magazine

"The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office is announcing a free, online learning session, “Museum/Library Partnerships That Work!” to be held at 2 p.m. CST on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 2:00 p.m...

As informal education institutions, museums and libraries share similar missions and values and can benefit from forging partnerships. Benefits include resource sharing, outreach to new audiences, access to expertise and the potential for increasing goodwill and support between the organizations and the broader community. Participants will learn about a number of successful museum/library partnerships that are generating innovative programming, exhibits and creating new opportunities for outreach and how to identify potential partners and successfully manage joint projects."

(I'm excited about this sort of thing)

A Step Beyond Automated Services

I read this article and I was heartbroken....


New Library Technologies Dispense With Librarians

"The Library Express is a stack of metal lockers outside city hall. When patrons want a book or DVD, they order it online and pick it up from a digitally locked, glove-compartment- sized cubby a few days later. It's a library as conceived by the Amazon.com generation.

Faced with layoffs and budget cuts, or simply looking for ways to expand their reach, libraries around the country are replacing traditional, full-service institutions with devices and approaches that may be redefining what it means to have a library.

Later this year Mesa, Ariz., plans to open a new "express" library in a strip-mall, open three days a week, with outdoor kiosks to dispense books and DVDs at all hours of the day. Palm Harbor, Fla., meanwhile, has offset the impact of reduced hours by installing glass-front vending machines that dispense DVDs and popular books."

A friend of mine compared this to automated check out services at some of our local public libraries, however I disagree. This is a library without reference services and other vital library functions; its a library devoid of a community center. It's a bunch of books kept in lockers, as you might reserve a Zip Car.

Do residents of St. Paul, Minn actually believe book/DVD lending policies are the only redeeming library service to a community?!

GSLIS Spring Course Schedule

I am officially registered for my spring semester! As two of my three classes are "electives", I wanted to brag a little about what I'm going to be taking...

Rare Book & Spec. Collections (LIS 531O)

With the growth of the Internet and the proliferat applications in librarianship, the role of the Spe Book library has not gotten simpler. In fact, the layer of complexity to the life of the librarian, remain unchanged. Often, Special Collections/Rare a library in microcosm, for many of these departme parent institution does, in both technical and pub this, many administrators look to the Rare Books D department's facilities and holdings for public re fund-raising activities. This course is designed a to Rare Book and Special Collections Librarianship neophyte as well as the experienced librarian the departments' responsibilities.

Photographic Archives (LIS 471)

Photographs as visual information. Problems of meaning, context, and definition. Responsibilities of the photo archivist. History of major types of photographic artifacts and development of photographic genres. Characteristics of 19th century processes. Special problems of subject access and remote access. Utilization by scholars, visual researchers, and communication industries. Onsite examination of management practices in a variety of institutions. Guest specialists include, when possible, visitors from special libraries, historical societies, major archives, museums, and picture agencies.

Establish Arch & Manuscript (LIS 442)

Developing a knowledge base that encompasses a variety of competencies around sustaining an archives is vital for archivists who often work in small one or two person repositories or may face the challenges of establishing new repositories. This course will analyze the requirements of such small or emerging programs and focus on the ways to develop strategic plans, locate and pursue sources of funding, market and design outreach, understand the physical and intellectual resources of an archival facility; and sustain program growth. The class will also examine these issues within the context of different types of archives (i.e. government, academic, historical societies).

Archives for the Win!

The La Crosse (Wis.) Public Library received the 2010 Governor’s Award for Archival Achievement on October 17. The award recognizes both the library’s extensive archives and the ways it makes the materials accessible, said Wisconsin State Archivist Peter Gottlieb. Much of the library’s information is available online as well, including more than 100 maps. Read More!

Gary Frost

Gary Frost, a conservator from the University of Iowa Libraries, received a lifetime achievement award from the Guild of Book Workers. Read the article here.

Frost's website, The Future of the Book, is also a rewarding, fun read. As a grad student very interested in Rare Book librarianship, and also from the perspective of a student currently taking a course on the History of the Book, I was gripped by the first paragraph:

different deaths

In a recent interview Nicholas Negroponte, in a single breath, contends that the print book is dead but the Web is not dead. Curious, Web content is evermore diluted and diffused while print just stays there. Maybe dead is not the best defining state for either.

Nicholas is sending laptops loaded with e-books to Africa. He should reflect that that is where books came from, and reading animals too.

Cheers to you, Gary Frost.