Newsletter (June 2008)
JUNE 2008 LIBRARIAN FUN
Monthly newsletter pertaining to the topic of librarians.
In the News: Fact or Fiction
Can you guess which of the following news stories are factual, and which are fictitious?
1. High school librarian arrested for threatening to blow up a building.
2. Retired librarian has climbed 115 peaks over 4,000 feet high.
3. Canadian librarian embezzles close to one million dollars over fourteen years.
4. Librarian to staff the Planetary Society’s first interplanetary library which landed on Mars.
5. Rhode Island librarian to compete in Mrs. International pageant.
6. Former librarian sold library books on Amazon.com and pocketed the money.
7. Art exhibit showcases artistic side of library staff.
The answers appear near the end of this newsletter
Reading Room
If you’re a fan of Ian Sansom’s first two books (The Case of the Missing Books and Mr. Dixon Disappears) whose main character is mobile librarian Israel Armstrong, you’ll soon be able to read the third book in the series. The Book Stops Here is scheduled to be released August 12th by Harper Paperbacks. http://tinyurl.com/5na35m
I haven’t read it yet, but noted essayist Alberto Manguel’s new book, The Library at Night (Yale University Press, 2008) has received wonderful reviews. The book description (http://tinyurl.com/5m2w7x) alone is so interesting you’ll definitely want to check out this book.
Stone Arch Books has published a series of new books by Michael Dahl featuring librarian characters. The books are targeted at reading level grades 1 – 3 and an interest level of grades 3 – 8. I know nothing about this series of books, but thought I’d mention them for school librarians who may be interested in clicking on this link http://tinyurl.com/5zquz3 to find out more about them.
Biblio Turismo
This just sounds like so much fun. Biblio Turismo is a New South Wales event where librarians from across the state meet and visit public libraries on motorbikes over a three day period to promote public libraries. You can find out more about it at www.biblioturismo.org
New YouTube Videos
If you need a little diversion, below are some recently added videos to YouTube that have a librarian character in them.
Emergency Librarian
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJLw63d3gpo
Late Fees
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbd-TWq7gjg
A librarian becomes obsessed with the return of a library book after being disrespected by a girl obsessed with bubble gum. Debuted at the University of Winnipeg Film Festival 2008.
Are You Afraid of the Dark – Tale of the Quiet Librarian (Part 1 of 3, all three are on YouTube)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLHTrPjskA0
ANSWERS - In the News: Fact or Fiction
1. Fact. The April 30th Mainichi Daily News (Tokyo) ran a story about librarian Miyuki Kamikawauchi, who was arrested for threatening to blow up the Soka Gakkai’s Sakai-Ikeda Auditorium in Osaka Japan.
2. Fact. According to an article in the May 18th Buffalo News, retired university librarian Wilma Cipolla has climbed 115 peaks over 4,000 feet high in the Northeast. She’s also hiked and climbed the Canadian Rockies and the 133-mile Northville Placid Trail in the Adirondacks. Now that’s what I call staying active in retirement! You can read the article at http://tinyurl.com/3en4pj.
3. Fact. The National Post (Ontario, Canada) ran a story on May 20th (http://tinyurl.com/4oe8v7) about Bruce Cameron, the Executive Director of the Wheatland Regional Library (Saskatchewan), who pleaded guilty to embezzling close to a million dollars of library funding for about fourteen years.
4. Fiction. Although the Planetary Society issued a press release on May 22nd with the headline “First Interplanetary Library Will Land on Mars” (http://tinyurl.com/4cqs3f), the library is actually a DVD of materials.
5. Fact. The headline in the Westerly Sun (Rhode Island) on May 5, 2008 read “A Librarian with International Flair.” The article reported that Heather Hinton Field, a librarian at the Ashaway Free Library, and a MLIS graduate of Simmons College, will be representing Rhode Island in the Mrs. International Pageant in Chicago this July.
6. Fact. Sadly this is another crime involving a librarian. On May 17th the Cedar Rapids Gazette (Iowa) (http://tinyurl.com/5x4g9m) reported that a former Center Point librarian sold library books on Amazon.com and deposited over $2,500 in her personal bank account according to a report by the State Auditor.
7. Fact. I love it whenever positive articles about library staff appear in the press. An article appeared in the May 9th Whittier Daily News about a multi-medium art exhibit at the Whittier Public Library (California). The exhibit showcased art by their talented staff. You can read the article at http://tinyurl.com/4unwbw.
For more information about librarians…
Be sure to purchase a copy of my new book, Casanova Was a Librarian: a Light Hearted Look at the Profession, by Kathleen Low, available from McFarland (www.mcfarlandpub.com), Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and other retailers.
Thanks for reading along with me!
Send an email to Casanovawasalibrarian@hotmail.com with “Librarian fun” in the subject line and you'll receive interesting librarian related information in your email inbox once a month.
