Banned Books Week Web Resource List

It's here! Banned Books Week for 2009, September 26 through October 3.

The American Library Association's website states:

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read

Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections. Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association; American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

For more information on getting involved with Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, please see Calendar of Events and Ideas and Resources. You can also contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4220, or bbw@ala.org.

Resources and a delightfully entertaining puppet show are also linked on ALA's site, on: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

Resource Shelf, a blog for information professionals, educators and journalists, offers more information about this important week. See the "Banned Books Week for September 26, 2009" posting.

Celebrate the week with awareness and advocacy!

The transformation of passion into compassion

A deep and consistent thread of personal growth that I am sharing here concerns our culture's "awakening of the heart to compassion," as recounted by Joseph Campbell (The Power of Myth, 1988). The context of this quote and the title of this posting is important - interviewer Bill Moyers asked Campbell for elaboration on the "sign of the cross" as a symbol for our culture. Besides its association with "the one historic moment on Calvary," the underlying meaning holds a connection between the physical and spiritual. Campbell begins his response with:

The big moment in the medieval myth is the awakening of the heart to compassion,
the transformation of passion into compassion...

In light of a recent annual library conference in which I was a co-presenter, I gave a lot of thought to the question of motivation. What gives us the desire to do the absolute best we can do? In library work, what moves us to provide that extra element for each patron? What is the passion that drives us to be librarians?

My personal passion is a great generator. Passion raises the level of my personal commitment to the quality. It challenges me to do more, be better, provide excellent service. It motivates me to learn and to seek information and the tools in finding that information so that I can bring this to my patrons in timely and effective ways.

Passion is a strong emotion, however, and can become enmeshed with my beliefs about myself - my ego. If I believe in something and become passionate about it, the playing field of my vunerability is exposed. I may have a passion about a politician, about intellectual freedom, my children and husband, my home - which in reality I do.

So I began to think about Campbell's words and meaning, moving from passion to compassion, in the context of my own work and life. I can have a passion for library work, but without compassion I have a hollow, egotistical career.

I must have compassion for those librarians, historians, educators, curators before me. I must have compassion for those who have tried to represent the best interests of freedom of information and the value of education. Most of all, I must have compassion for those who seek answers no matter how trivial it may seem. A young patron asked how to get unstuck in a Nintendo DS game. A student seeking research about the psychology of the interpretation of dreams. Another patron wanted to know how child custody laws work when each parent lives in a different state and told me her son hadn't seen his father in five years.

Moving the passion for library work into a compassionate realm moves our hearts from fear of attack (and being on the defensive) to quietly listening in a place of calm care. It's easier to calculate how best to help our patrons when we are confident enough in ourselves to focus upon their needs.

Have a wonderful Memorial weekend! I hope your days are restful and pleasant.

Wordle - Library Services

Goodbye President Papadakis

It is sad to hear of the passing of someone who has had such an effect on so many students, me included. Goodbye President Papadakis. Drexel University has been greatly influenced by your style and enormous presence.

Exciting Week at DrupalCon DC 2009

DrupalCon DC
March 4-7, 2009 Washington Convention Center

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This was one of those “intense learning environment” conferences. I went to DrupalCon to learn about the software from the ground floor, and ended up learning a great deal of unexpected information.

There were 1400 attendees (up from 40 eight years ago), and over 100 workshops and sessions. My Baltimore County Public Library colleague, Jason, and I attended from the same office but with different web projects. While his involves the complexities of a large library’s website, I’m completely satisfied to be working with the Maryland AskUsNow’s Statewide Project Coordinator, Julie Strange, to move our current “Partners Page” site from its current foundation (shaky as it sometimes seems) into Drupal. Our site has twelve main areas, plus the home page. Julie’s previous work to incorporate widgets and to get all updated information uploaded via shortcuts set a tone for this next step.

I looked at DrupalCon as an immersion prior to the event (here is a link to the list of sessions), and while it was like this it was also a lot like a graduate school course condensed into a very small amount of time. The organization of the sessions made it possible for a newbie like me to target “how to start” and “where to go from there,” types of sessions.
I also picked up on three other very important things:

1. No conference is a conference without a certain amount of networking. This was accomplished at DrupalCon as well, including the Birds of a Feather meeting with other librarians who are working with, or looking to work with, Drupal. This put me in touch with a place called Drupal.Groups online, which has many libraries involved (you’ll have to have a login to view the libraries and interact with them, but you can access the front area). Unfortunately, I was naïve to the attraction a meeting like this has for vendors, especially free lance web developers and companies who could provide everything we’d need for a price.Nonetheless, it was a good opportunity to at least meet the 20 or so others who are in various stages of “Drupal and library” web development. Some of the topics included how to work with catalog systems and the beginnings of basic planning to design a library site.
   
   
2. Drupal uses applications and modules as ways to build upon a core. For example, if a site wants a calendar, there is a separate module to download and then incorporate into the desired area of a site. I not only gained more of an understanding of which modules may be usable for our site, but also where these modules are at in their own development stages. There are earlier versions of Drupal – the most current is version 6, and version 7 is in the works. However, many of the modules are still in earlier version form.
   






3. Finally, and to me just as essential as learning about the software is to fully fathom the organic, lively quality of what “open source” really means. I was amazed at the overlap of mission between the world of librarians and the Drupal community. On a deeper level, I was moved by the commitment to share quality information. This theme presented itself as a cornerstone for the growth of Drupal, the standard of its software and the future of its community (which is its users and developers). Those who use Drupal often tend to shape it in some way, from involvement as a source of support for others, to testing modules and apps, to making new parts of Drupal. Somehow, it works well in this way. I know nothing else like this. Two of DrupalCon’s keynote speakers, the founder Dries Buytaert and Twittering Chris Messina, addressed this aspect of Drupal very well, as well as to bring in some of the future aspects of social net - working. (I divided “net” with “working” to give the indication that I am talking about something more than FaceBook/MySpace. More like, “working with each other on the net” in a fun but productive way.) If you have any interest in social networking, please watch the hour-long recording of “Chris Messina’s address, “Our Identity Online.”

I’m not a programmer. In my past, I’ve looked at open source software and dabbled a little in this and that, but found the available software and easy-to-install applications (like widgets) just enough to work well enough for my uses. I have created a few simple websites and worked on design aspects of others. I went into the conference with some trepidation, somewhat like Dorothy entering the Land of Oz, and came out with an excitement to get started! With our community and connections, with some careful project planning, and with plenty of flexibility and testing, I believe Julie and I will find Drupal to be a frontier that offers us just what we need to create a site that offers information, multimedia options, and with ease of design appeal that will encourage frequent use by all Maryland AskUsNow! providers.

Let me know if you would like access to the detailed notes of the daily sessions I attended, provided through Google Docs online. I’ll be happy to link you there. You can also browse through the recordings available through the Internet Archives, “DrupalCon 2009” online at:
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=DrupalCon%202009%20AND%20collection%3Aopensource_movies

Here is a shortened (easier) link, which takes you to the same place:
http://tinyurl.com/dh559p

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For more about Dries Buytaert, founder of Drupal:
http://buytaert.net/

(posted by Cathay Crosby, Operations Assistant, Maryland AskUsNow!)

Jamaica Library Service’s 60th International Conference

A Fabulous Week at the Jamaica Library Service’s 60th International Conference
Ocho Rios, Jamaica

http://www.jls.gov.jm/

Sometimes a librarian gets an opportunity to attend a conference outside her system, whether it is beyond the boundaries of her library’s community or job responsibilities. I have recently returned from the Jamaica Library Services 60th International Conference, and this is a good time for me to dive in with my first attempt at writing a blog posting for Maryland AskUsNow!

The JLS conference was held in Ocho Rios, Jamaica during February 16-21, 2009. The theme of this conference was “Public and School Libraries: your partners in National Development” and centered upon Jamaica’s Vision 2030. It has been ten years since the previous conference. The level of excitement and involvement was nationwide, from the Minister of Education who spoke at the opening (Plenary) session to representatives from many of the island’s numerous libraries.

Just for the record, JLS was started in 1948 (before Jamaica’s emancipation/independence from Great Britain). It has 13 Parish libraries, and within those, numerous branch libraries (148 in all). Jamaica’s outreach service extends to hundreds of stops all over the island. The library’s partnership with its schools is well enmeshed, and collaboration with the National Library and the University of the West Indies is apparent.

I was a speaker who, with my husband’s assistance (he was my ‘live example’), presented a workshop on programming lifelong learning in public libraries. Throughout the week, other workshops covered e-resources, social networking, unified access of OPACs, and the overall theme of where the library is going. (Note: I am told that information, pictures, and recordings of my workshop and others will be available in the near future, from JLS online. - CC)

As of a year ago, the JLS initiated free Internet access at all their libraries, and their new website (linked above) was rolled out just a few days ago. Plans for unification of the cataloging system, renovations, incorporating more activities and building upon ones they have now are underway. The island’s biggest program is the National Reading Competition, which now includes an adult category. You can see more about this at:

http://www.jls.gov.jm/Prog_serv.htm

From the overall organization of the conference to the information presented, I was newly impressed with the Jamaica Library Service.

Its Director General, Mrs. Patricia Roberts, is an amazing woman of charm, energy and vision. She clearly motivates those around her. Her background in business and management is a grounding force for the library island-wide.

One event I was able to hook up with was a field trip to St. Ann’s Parish library.

The library’s renovations include revamping the teen area, moving the reference department to a larger area upstairs, increasing the number of public computers, and the creation of the Marcus Garvey room (a huge event is planned for its opening).

The library is surrounded by a park, and the Marcus Garvey statue stands solidly in front.

I feel extremely fortunate that I could participate in and attend the Jamaica Library Services 60th International Conference. The location (the Sunset Grande Resort in Ocho Rios) was almost secondary to the tremendous conference itself. Almost.

End of Year Reports - and Thank Yous!

This has been quite a year. One that will go into the history books for the astounding achievement of electing an intelligent, strong leader who happens to be the first U.S. African American President, for the turmoil of the U.S. economy, the tracking of global climate changes and extreme weather, and personally, a year of stretches.

It's interesting how a person's life-patterns can mimic those around her. We humans look for patterns, after all, to help make sense out of our daily lives. For example, I have taken yoga regularly since 2003 and up'd the pace with Shaolin kung fu three times a week. My legs are so much stronger and overall, I'm noticeably more flexible. I also feel a bit more settled and see a groundedness in my daily life. I'm sleeping better and reacting to potentially-stressful situations with much less emotion. Even my stomach problems are almost all gone away.

A big test of this "new me" was the advent of a new job with a long commute down the I-95 corridor and onto the 695 Beltway during rush hour. Even during my interim, I felt centered and focused on what I could do - write a novel (check), dig and create a water garden (check), work on music and stained glass (check), and devote more time and loving energy to what matters most = my family and friends (continuous checking).

As the year wraps its arms around us to huddle in a moment of reflection, I have to add that I am one of the luckiest around. And to whomever and whatever's responsible, a big 'thank you.' Thank you for the music, the words, the smiles from my kids and husband, the encouragement from my extended family, friends and colleagues, and the ongoing feeling of hope that we, as a nation and a community, can come out into the light. Who knows? Maybe by March, we'll really get into the spirit of some real, down-home spring cleaning (and I'm speaking figuratively as well as literally).

Have a wonderful holiday season, and blessings to each of you throughout the year.