the shrinking librarian

Jun 28

“Layoffs have been averted. Every library in every community will remain open at least five days a week,” Queens Library President and CEO Thomas W. Galante said in a statement. The more than 600 library jobs which had been in jeopardy were all saved, though the Queens library will continue a hiring freeze and economies in the new materials budget. Galante thanked the mayor, speaker and council members, as well as Local 1321 Queens Library Guild, Friends of the Library, Urban Librarians Unite, and the more than 85,000 people who signed petitions, wrote postcards, and attended rallies to show support for library funding.” From LJ: “The New York City budget restored nearly $90 million of a threatened $96 million cut to public libraries in an agreement announced June 25. The City Council is expected to vote on the fiscal year 2013 budget agreement sometime this week; the exact timing has not yet been determined.” (via libraryjournal)

(via libraryjournal)

Jun 19

libraryjournal:

queenslibrary:

City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, Queens Library president and CEO Tom Galante, and the Long Island City and Astoria communities gathered at the Queens Library at Long Island City at the Broke Down Carnival, a community event held to help save Queens Library, can’t “bear” cuts to library funding. Can you?

Bear costume!

(via libraryjournal)

Jun 13

thelifeguardlibrarian:

Loud Debate Rages Over N.Y. Library’s Quiet Stacks

(via libraryjournal)

Mar 6

lavacheestdanslepre:

Faced with a demand by the city to make up a $3.9 million budget shortfall, the Toronto Public Library is considering a revenue-generating proposal that could result in private-sector advertising on the back of due-date slips.

(via librarianista)

Jun 5

NYPL Wire–The New York Public Library: Today: Show Us You Love Us. Hug The Library.

librarianista:

nypl:

Do you love the New York Public Library? Do you love the free books and internet? The free ESOL classes? The free literacy classes? The free kids’ programming? The amazing community spaces? Well, show us. Go to the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building today at 1:30 and join in a “hug” of the library, hosted by advocacy group Urban Librarians Unite. They are symbolically showing how much the city loves and wants to protect its libraries from potentially devastating proposed budget cuts. NYPL faces a $40 million cut - the largest in our history. That would mean cutbacks in hours, branches, programming and more. So come hug and make a statement. And then go to our site and write a letter to your councilmember. Then get all your friends to do it. This is important - do it!

Now that is how you write a call to action! “This is important - do it!” Do it now!

May 28

Unshelved by Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes

“Spontaneous comments from participants in the US RDA Test show that a broad cross-section of the community feels budgetary pressures but nevertheless considers it necessary to replace MARC 21 in order to reap the full benefit of new and emerging content standards. The Library now seeks to evaluate how its resources for the creation and exchange of metadata are currently being used and how they should be directed in an era of diminishing budgets and heightened expectations in the broader library community.” Transforming our Bibliographic Framework: A Statement from the Library of Congress

Apr 2

Newport Beach considering going bookless at its original library

In a sign of the times, Newport Beach is considering closing the city’s original library and replacing it with a community center that would offer all the same features — except for the books.

Instead of a reference librarian, patrons would be greeted by a kiosk equipped with video-calling software that would allow them to speak with employees elsewhere. And books — when ordered — would be dropped off at a locker for pickup.

… a video librarian? Truly we live in the future.

DeKalb Boy Saves Local Library Branch

“Budget cuts meant a DeKalb County library branch was set to close at the end of this month, but then a 12-year-old boy stepped in.

It was a first person civics lesson for 12-year-old home schooled sixth grader Sekondi Landry. The DeKalb County boy spent hours at the library everyday and he stepped up to save it.

… ‘I got a petition and I got about 100 people to sign it,’ said Landry. ‘This was the first sign I made so I would hold it up like this.’

Landry made an even bigger sign and went to speak before the library board. The board changed their minds and voted to keep the library open.”

(via Library Stuff)

Mar 31

Odds stacked against libraries as cities feel pinch

The title doesn’t do this article justice. More than just another “oh no, libraries are in trouble when demand is increasing!” article, I thought it was interesting that this one addressed the other options of people who lose a library. In short: there aren’t many. Neighboring libraries can’t always take on patrons from areas where a library closes, especially not in any great numbers when they, too, were already feeling the pinch of tighter budgets. They may have to deny services, add restrictions, or even charge nonresidents.

“We can’t take these people on as refugees,” said Southfield library director Dave Ewick. “My heart goes out to Troy residents. But I can’t give them for free what my people are paying for — they need to realize how valuable a library is and pay for it.”

(via Library Stuff)

the shrinking librarian

A shy violet keeps a library & information science scrapbook.

NYPL Wire–The New York Public Library: Today: Show Us You Love Us. Hug The Library.

Newport Beach considering going bookless at its original library

DeKalb Boy Saves Local Library Branch

Odds stacked against libraries as cities feel pinch