Category Archives: Library News

Follow Up: Library Patron Tasered by Cop

Posted on Monday, November 27, 2006 by Keith

Seems the cop that tasered the kid at the UCLA library has a bit of history: The UCLA police officer videotaped last week using a Taser gun on a student also shot a homeless man at a campus study hall … Continue reading →

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Preachin’ It

Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2006 by Keith

Ursela K. Le Guin really likes libraries: [...] I feel above all that I’m here as a proxy, a stand-in, for Literature. Literature is too busy to come collect her prize, and she’s too big to get into the building, … Continue reading →

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No Tasers In The Library

Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2006 by Keith

Just in case you needed more proof that the Patriot Act was a bad idea: UCPD officers shot a student several times with a Taser inside the [UCLA] Powell Library CLICC computer lab late Tuesday night before taking him into … Continue reading →

Posted in Library News, Politics | 2 Comments

Someone At The Heritage Foundation has His Head Up His Ass, Or: Business as Usual

Posted on Monday, October 16, 2006 by Keith

A surprisingly wrong headed op-ed from the New York Times was the hot subject of the Comics scholars listserv today. I thought I’d share it and my commentary, with the class: New York Times October 11, 2006 Op-Ed Contributor No … Continue reading →

Posted in Comics, Library News, News | 13 Comments

Harry Potter, In the Amish School, With a Ludicrous Excuse

Posted on Monday, October 9, 2006 by Keith

Pam over at Pandagon beat me to the story about the Gerogia Mom who wants to ban Harry Potter books in school here because they indoctinate kids into Wicca, cause school shottings, and acne: A woman who maintains that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture War, Library News | 3 Comments

Banned Book Talk: Open Thread

Posted on Monday, September 25, 2006 by Keith

Here’s a list from the ALA of the most challenged and banned books in the country. Bet you can’t guess what the most banned book is. Hint: it’s about a boy with glasses who goes to a special school. What’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture War, Library News | 3 Comments

Banned in the USA

Posted on Monday, September 25, 2006 by Keith

This week is Banned Books Week and of course, some people don’t like the word “banned”: Judy Platt with the Association of American Publishers is a proponent of Banned Books Week. But not even she could come up with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture War, Library News | 6 Comments

Educating Immigrants, Whether Congress Likes It Or Not

Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 by Keith

The Nation: The day-to-day challenges librarians face are inherent in the job description: defending access to controversial or banned books, staving off budget cuts, and creating and expanding programs to draw more citizens into one of the few remaining genuinely … Continue reading →

Posted in Library News, Politics | 4 Comments

405+ Attempts to Remove Books From Library Shelves in 2005

Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 by Keith

ALA: “Throughout history, there always have been a few people who don’t want information to be freely available. And this is still true,” said ALA President Leslie Burger. “The reason more books aren’t banned is because community residents – with … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture War, Library News | 1 Comment

Is the Library of Congress The Next FEMA?

Posted on Tuesday, June 27, 2006 by Keith

Something is happening at the Library of Congress and Thomas Mann, Reference Librarian in the Library of Congress Main Reading Room wants to know what. He’s written an essay (PDF) outlining the shape of cataloguing procedures at the LC. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Library News | 3 Comments