Libraries in the News

State and local officials called on the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh November 12 to keep all of its branches open. The officials also want the library to provide them with more complete financial information, host a forum for elected officials and the public, and commit to holding its December 14 board meeting in public. But only two of the 43 board members showed up for a November 14 tour organized by state Rep. Chelsa Wagner, whose neighborhood branch would close in February….

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Babies and their parents head to Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library in Venice, Florida, on Tuesdays for a fun-filled time of learning and interaction. The free, 45-minute Baby Rhyme and Sign Time, geared toward newborns to 2-and-a-half-year-olds, combines nursery rhymes, baby sign language, and music. The program was developed by youth librarians Sheila Kaufer and Anna Coleman. Signing is a way for young children to communicate before they can speak….

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Library media specialists in Alabama are seeking out new funding sources for books and other needs, or they are struggling to make do with what they have, after the state eliminated funding for school libraries this year. State funding, doled out to schools at $175 per teacher unit, totaled $8.5 million last year before proration, which reduced state funding by 11% across the board. That already was down from $200 per teacher unit, or $9.7 million, the year before….

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Five days after the abrupt November 12 decision to close the only two libraries in Colton, California, library board President Peter Carrasco was anticipating an outpouring of library support from disaffected area residents at the city council’s November 17 meeting. He got his wish: Some 100 people crowded into the council chambers to make their voices heard. Carrasco told American Libraries that the library board was “left completely out of the loop” by city management, which made the decision without first consulting with trustees. ALA President Camila Alire has issued a statement on the closings….

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Voters in Aurora, Colorado, rejected a ballot initiative November 3 that would have increased local property taxes in order to help fund the city’s cash-strapped library system, putting four local branches at risk of closure. Under the budget approved by the city council, the Chambers Plaza, Iliff Square, Mission Viejo (above), and Hoffman Heights branches will now be tagged for closure in 2010. The budget will also see the elimination of more than 100 staff positions from the Library and Cultural Services Department. Read more…

Bill Lowenburg, librarian at Stroudsburg (Pa.) High School, gave a presentation on “Hooking Off the Jab: Norman Mailer and Boxing” at the annual conference of the Norman Mailer Society held October 23–24 at the Library of Congress. Lowenburg is uniquely qualified to grasp the subtle interplay between boxing and writing in Mailer’s work: He fought in amateur bouts when he was younger and recently started training young fighters at a local gym. In addition, he is an accomplished photographer. Read more…

A new plan is being hatched to keep open the Reading (Pa.) Public Library’s three neighborhood branches. According to Mayor Tom McMahon, the idea was conceived at a November 9 meeting. The city would kick in $100,000 to pay for utilities. The United Way would provide federal stimulus money to help pay for the resource center work of the main library, freeing up those funds for branch operations. The community foundation and the library board would supply some money, and volunteer help would be needed. Read more…

Graphic novels can be funny, childish, romantic, and scary. And as both publishers and librarians can testify, they’re amazing at promoting reading among kids, teens, and even adults. The Newfield (N.J.) Public Library is looking forward to adding more books to its shelves in coming months thanks to a recent grant. It is one of 14 small libraries in the state awarded $3,000 grants administered by the New Jersey State Library to either establish or grow their graphic novel collections. Read more…

Twelve people have been charged with checking out more than $140,000 in books from Maryland colleges and community libraries and selling them for quick cash. Prince George’s County prosecutors announced the indictment November 10. About $87,000 worth of books were taken from the Prince George’s County Public Library alone between November 2008 and July 2009. Officials said the thieves targeted high-priced science and medical textbooks. Read more…