$45 000 Author Visit

Author Neil Gaiman is in the center of a library-related stink. Apparently it costs $45 000 to have Neil come to your library. He explains why in his blog post, though the answers don't satisfy everyone.

I'm not really sure where I stand on this one. Neil Gaiman is a very popular author, and one whose work I have enjoyed. He draws massive crowds, which ultimately mean people in the library, which is good. If the library can even hold that many!

On the other hand, couldn't that forty-five thousand go elsewhere? Maybe to hire transportation and shipping of older books to needy places? Maybe not quite as big an event as having Neil Gaiman come in, but then if you advertise something like a Not-Neil fundraiser where people are asked to donate to help other libraries instead of paying to get Neil Gaiman...? I'm not sure.

Blocking Cell Phones in the Library

The Oak Creek public library in Milwaukee is thinking about blocking cell phone use due to complaints about people talking on their cell phones. Cell phone use is not allowed in within the building, but people talk anyway.

As much as I hate disembodied one-way conversations happening around me, I don't think this is practical from a safety standpoint. The City Librarian, Ross Talis, does not agree.

Asked whether a blocker could inconvenience patrons who might need to be contacted in an emergency, Talis said: "We have phones here that are always available to the public."

No, still not a great idea. Libraries have had public phones for a very long time, but there is a reason cell phones became popular. Okay, more than a few reasons, but one reason is safety. Someone might not know their friend/family member/rowing coach is at the library at any particular time, making it difficult to call the library proper.

It kind of reminds me of being in elementary or high school. The class would be rowdy, and then everyone - even quiet bookworms like myself - would get punished. I use my cell phone properly dammit!

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

The CBLDF (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund) has a shiny new webpage.

ALA Choose Privacy Week

It's Choose Privacy Week! The American Library Association recommends teaching people, especially kids, how to control how much information they post about themselves online.

No Computers, No Patrons?

Libraries have experienced a surge of activity since they commonly acquired computers. With the advent of the iPad and other portable devices, some people wonder if anyone will come to the library anymore. The idea is that some libraries are thinking of getting rid of the desktops and loaning out iPads and netbooks to students wanting to use computers in the library. I'm not seeing this as a big concern yet. Lots of places can barely afford the rickety old desktops, much less netbooks and the like. And desktops don't fit handily inside bookbags. That's why they call them desktops and not stealmes.

The Scary World of Rare Book Libraries

Despite the great move to make libraries more fun and accessible, there are still some thoroughly intimidating places - the rare book collections.

Digital Photo Frames in Libraries

The Strange Librarian offers an alternative to those big expensive screen displays in libraries: digital photo frames. You can afford a lot more of them and place them all throughout the service areas of the library. Of course, seems like it'd be kind of easy to lose them to sticky fingers, but still - good idea!