Library Stuff

“Where will President Barack Obama put his presidential library? Four years from the end of the Obama presidency, Chicago and Honolulu are ramping up major campaigns to build the center that will house the records of America’s 44th president.In Illinois and Hawaii, the states Obama calls home, universities and community groups are drafting plans and using a mix of public and private efforts to persuade Obama to choose their site for what will be a monument to his historic presidency and an instrument to continue his legacy.” (via AP)

“Turns out President Barack Obama wants a presidential library after all.

Jodi Kantor, author of “The Obamas,” wrote in a New York Times piece this weekend that Obama “not so long ago” said he didn’t need a presidential library, which he saw as “a tribute to himself costing hundreds of millions of dollars.” Headed into his second term, Obama apparently changed his mind and now has a former aide looking at potential locations in his hometown.

via NBC Chicago

“The University of Chicago is quietly stepping up its push to land President Barack Obama’s presidential library, I was told Saturday. Top U. of C. honchos are “trying to figure out how to encourage the president and first lady to make the University of Chicago a serious contender,” I was told by a source who is knowledgeable about developments to win the library for the U. of C.”

via Chicago Sun-Times

Reuters – “U.S. President Barack Obama is slated to announce on Friday nearly $800 million in loans and grants for the build-out of broadband networks to reach homes, schools and hospitals….The projects will include laying communications lines to homes, hospitals and schools and expanding computer facilities in libraries, community colleges and other public areas.”

Washington Post – “In this era of blog wildfires, one fast-moving flame can be quenched before it scorches the facts: First Lady Michelle Obama did not stock the White House library with socialist books. The controversy erupted after a conservative radio host and blogger from North Dakota took the White House tour on Wednesday and spotted two suspicious volumes on the shelves.”

SLJ – “President Obama has delivered a slap in the face to school librarians. In his FY2011 budget proposal to Congress on Monday, he completely eliminated the Improving Literacy for School Libraries grant program, designed to boost academic achievement by providing students with access to up-to-date school library materials.”

Atlantic – “The Obama administration wants Congress to reauthorize three controversial provisions of the 2001 USA Patriot Act scheduled to expire later this year, but said in a letter to two senators that it is open to adding (unspecified) civil liberties safeguards. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the sunsetting provisions next week and wants to consider broader reforms. Five months ago, it asked the administration for its views; just yesterday, the administration responded. Some of the changes to the law Barack Obama sought as a senator — including modifications to the administrative subpoena power known as National Security Letters — are not part of the corpus of his views today.”

More here, and here

The Associated Press – “A memoir by George Obama, the president's half brother and a resident of Huruma, Kenya, will be published by Simon & Schuster in January 2010. George Obama, 27, shares the same father with his famous, older half sibling, although George and Barack Obama – 20 years apart in age – did not grow up together and did not meet as children.”

AP – “President Obama in Egypt told Muslims he wants to engage them and their countries. More than 5,000 miles away, U.S. administration officials sent notes to supporters — and critics — via Twitter, Facebook and text messages to reinforce the point.”

David Rothman (e-book guy) has some advice for the President elect