Library Stuff

National Journal – “Barack Obama punched his ticket to the White House with the help of innovative digital campaigning, and since arriving he’s overhauled and created high-profile Web sites like WhiteHouse.gov and Recovery.gov. Yet amidst this push for transparency, some Congressional committee Web sites — crucial for disseminating hearing schedules, transcripts and legislation — haven’t caught up.”

BBC – “A traditional red phone box has been recycled into one of the country’s smallest lending libraries – stocking 100 books. Villagers from Westbury-sub-Mendip in Somerset can use the library around the clock, selecting books, DVDs and CDs. Users simply stock it with a book they have read, swapping it for one they have not.”

Cumberland Times – “Interested in meeting the Allegany County Bookmobile at Hannah Plaza in Cresaptown but running late? Now you can simply log on to Twitter and see if the Bookmobile is on schedule. The Allegany County Library System is using Twitter and other social networking sites as yet another way to bring the library experience closer to patrons — wherever they may be.”

Kentucky.com – “A dispute over books at Montgomery County High School has embroiled parents, teachers, students and others over the past several months, extending to authors and censorship groups at the national level. The continuing ruckus revolves around contemporary, young-adult novels that have been used in conjunction with classical works like The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and the epic poem Beowulf in some sophomore and senior accelerated English classes.

Times Daily – “Their names conjure cozy, images of curling up with a book or newspaper in a wing-back chair next to a crackling fire. Yet the reality is e-readers offer not a dog-eared page in sight. Their names could serve as an example of how print and technology coexist, yet their struggle to maintain harmony remains to be seen.”