|
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 20:15:29 -0400 (EDT)
To: pubyac-digest@nysernet.org
Subject: pubyac V1 #698
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 May 1999 14:39:14 -0700
From: "David Burt" <dburt@afo.net>
Subject: Dr. Laura Gives ALA a bloody nose as Toys R' Us cancels its check
Toys'R'Us Cancels ALA Fund Negotiations, Cites Dr. Laura
http://www.ala.org/alonline/news/1999/990510.html#toys
After eight months of negotiations with ALA's Fund for
America's Libraries to pay for the building of children's reading
rooms in public libraries across the United States, the
Toys'R'Us toy store chain May 3 decided to cancel those
plans as a result of Dr. Laura Schlessinger's April 15 radio
broadcast that portrayed librarians as pedophiles.
"Though a final figure had not been set, we thought we were
very close to getting $250,000 for the first year," Stuart
Whitwell, associate director of the fund, told American
Libraries, "and that it would raise as much as a million dollars
over succeeding years." Whitwell said it would have been the
fund's "biggest corporate deal" this year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David Burt, President
Filtering Facts
www.filteringfacts.org
phone/fax 503 635-7048
210 S State Street, Suite 7
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 13:42:57 -0400
From: Stamford Library <slibrary@bcn.net>
Subject: book challenge
Who has read Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer? Sixth graders are
reading this title as a class assignment and several parents have
complained about the book's mention of breasts and menstruation. This
is our first book challenge! Besides having the complainants complete
book challenge forms, what other steps should I take? I am a community
librarian, presiding over a small combined school and town library.
Thanks for your input.
Jennifer Ward, Stamford Community Library in the Vermont Green Mtns.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 13:36:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: Nanci Milone <milone@noblenet.org>
Subject: Re: Youth Hostile Libraries
Anna,
You are struggling with a problem many of us do. I was at a recent
workshop with Patrick Jones who pointed out that no matter how good we
are at our jobs and no matter how good our collections are - the kids
just aren't going to come back if they're met with hostile staff at
Reference, Circ., or elsewhere in the library.
Have you tried checking to see if there are YALSA trainers available in
your area?
Nanci Milone
On Sun, 9 May 1999,
Anna May Wong wrote:
> I am a "Youth Services Specialist" in a small branch library of a
large,
> bureaucratic, municipal library system. Not quite out of library school, I
> have also received some training from our central library system in
> promoting young adult services. The problem is, while I have had some
> success in making the local teenagers feel welcome in our branch (greatly
> helped by the library's recent acquisition of 6 computers)the other 3
> librarians in the branch, including the branch librarian, have made it
quite
> clear that they don't want teenagers in the library.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Nanci Milone | Peabody Institute Library
Young Adult Librarian | Peabody, Massachusetts
milone@noblenet.org | *North of Boston Library Exchange*
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 23:04:53 -0700
From: "Steven Engelfried" <stevene@co.deschutes.or.us>
Subject: popular culture website
Does anyone know a good website for current popular culture for kids? What
I'm after is a site that will have updated links to things that are
currently hot topics with kids...movies, tv shows, fads, holidays, news
events, etc. I know there are sites out there, and a person could find them
and update their own page regularly, but I'm shooting for a low-maintenance
kids' page and would like to just link to a site that will do the updates
well and regularly. You can get a lot of that through Yahooligans, but I'd
love a short, concise list of the hottest topics for kids. Any suggestions?
Steven Engelfried, Children's Librarian
Deschutes Public Library
601 NW Wall Street Bend, OR 97701
ph: 541-617-7072 fax: 541-617-7073
e-mail: stevene@dpls.lib.or.us
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 11:15:42 -0700
From: Laura Whaley <WHALEYL@santacruzpl.org>
Subject: RE: Biased Censorship Continues at Publib
Nor David should it be used for YOUR political bias.
- -----Original Message-----
From: David Burt [mailto:dburt@afo.net]
Sent: Friday, May 07, 1999 2:59 PM
To: 'pubyac@nysernet.org'
Subject: Biased Censorship Continues at Publib
In the latest example of the biased censorship being practiced by Publib's
moderators, Karen Schneider and Sara Weissman, the "Dr. Laura" thread
was
killed, but anti-Dr. Laura posts are still being posted, while pro-Dr. Laura
posts are not:
On Wed, 5 May 1999 06:43:55, Karen Schneider announced she was closing the
thread:
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/PubLib/archive/9905/0063.html
<snip>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 02:23:35 -0400
From: "Gail Roberts" <groberts@sailsinc.orb>
Subject: Re: Youth Hostile Libraries
You say you are in a branch library. Does your system have a Youth
Services Coordinator? You should address your concerns to him/her, and
thereby give yourself a partner in this quarrel. You should not feel that
you have to take on the burden of this alone. There is strength in
numbers, and a Youth Services Coordinator can address the branch manager
directly, and maybe provide workshops in dealing with teens in the library.
This is your library's future, and if you alienate the kids now, you will
have very few patrons in a generation or so.
"If A equals success, then the formula is: X+Y+Z.
X is work, Y is play, Z is keep your mouth shut."
Albert Einstein
Gail E. Roberts
groberts@sailsinc.org
Coordinator of Youth Services
New Bedford Free Public Library
New Bedford, MA 02740
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 14:53:30 -0400
From: Michelle Yezerski <cpc@ohio.net>
Subject: FW: That baaad Laura/Alice site
>From: Judith Campbell [SMTP:jcampbel@ascpl.lib.oh.us]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 1:32 PM
>To: PUBYAC (E-mail)
>Subject: That baaad Laura/Alice site
>
>I was interested to see Mary K's snip from Michelle Yezerski that appeared
>on PUBLIB regarding these sites.
>>Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 07:08:35 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Michelle Yezerski <cpc@ohio.net>
>To: plib2@sunsite.berkeley.edu
>Subject: Laura & Alice
>
>I believe librarians may want to know why parents around the country are
>dismayed by the selection of this site to the ALA YALSA web page
>*recommended* list for CHILDREN ages 12-18. <
First of all, I was quickly censored when I posted my message to the Publib
listserve. I quoted some sentences from the Alice site but those were
deleted. Hmm..... too much to handle for librarians, but perfectly OK for
children at the age of 12? Hypocrites!
>This woman spearheaded the attempt to shut down Internet access for the
>public at the Medina County District Public Library.
What a crock ! But what else can you expect from some librarians these
days. We have stated over and over again that we believe the Internet is a
very valuable resource. We have stated hundreds of times that we DO NOT
want Internet access stopped at any libraries. This is the typical lie
perpetuated by many librarians. Ask any reporter that has interviewed us.
We have always stated that we don't want Internet computers turned off.
> She formed a group
>called Concerned Citizens that spearheaded a drive to force filtering,
>segregating computers in a room, employing tap on the shoulder, etc.
This is obviously fabricated. How about getting the name of the
organization straight - Citizens for the Protection of Children. Maybe you
have me mixed up with a different group? I'm not familar with Concerned
Citizens. Force filtering? Oh really? You can check out our six pages of
"suggestions" given to our library, the county prosecutor, county
commissioners, sheriff, state legislators, Ohio governor, many media
reporters, and a long list of other people. At no time did we force
anything. We offered our written suggestions - at the request of a library
board member during a public meeting.
Our state reps wrote the legislation regarding filtering, we didn't. Yes,
we supported the legislation. As far as a "tap on the shoulder"
policy, we
have always stated that we think it's an inferior policy. Ask Gary Daniels
of the Ohio ACLU. We've been on debate panels together twice. He opposes
tap on the shoulder policies. I don't particularly like them either and I
have stated so publicly. Although we don't oppose that librarians use this
method, we believe the best solution would be to provide filtered computers
for children of parents who want that option for their children and/or
themselves. And I'm speaking about their OWN children. Parents should have
these tools available. After all, they are paying for your salaries and the
library building, collections, etc.
For librarians who refuse to offer the choice to patrons who want it for
themselves and their children, you are interfering and standing in between
the parent and the child. Why don't you oppose laws that restrict the sales
of tobacco, fire arms, and alcohol to children? Where's your argument that
it's the parent's responsibility, and ONLY the parent's responsibility, in
those situations as well? Let's dismiss those laws and give parents total
responsibity to watch their children. I guess that should go for voting and
driving too. Age shouldn't matter and only the parents are responsible for
overseeing that their children don't harm themselves or others???
Segregating computers in a room? That was never our idea. That was
completely the idea of our library, I guess. I have no idea who came up
with that idea but it certainly didn't come from us. We didn't know about
it until the walls were being built.
> Her
>group downloaded pornography in the library to show that it could be done.
Lies...Lies...Lies... My group had nothing to do with that. I was told
about it afterwards by a concerned father, who's a computer expert, and who
has never been a member of our group. I had met this father I think once
before he downloaded the material. I hardly knew him then. In fact, he had
contacted the county prosecutor and sheriff and supplied them with computer
disks and printouts before I ever knew what he did.
This concerned citizen, Dr. Williams, arranged to have the sheriff come to
the library so he could demonstrate to the sheriff just how easy it is for
children to access illegal materials (see section 2907.01 - 2907.31 of the
Ohio Revised Code). Dr. Williams told our library director, Bob Smith, that
he would be bringing the sheriff with him to the library the following day.
Smith used quite a bit of profanity and told him he wouldn't let them into
the library. I think he even had the nerve to call the sheriff and tell him
not to come! Gee, where's that "intellectual freedom" when you need
it???
Since when did Smith own the library and have the right to deny the sheriff
and a taxpaying patron entrance? Some people are so arrogant! The next day
the sheriff showed up with the chief of police! Where was Smith - that
coward? He was hiding some place and refused to show his face. He sent a
librarian over to the sheriff, police chief, and Dr. Williams with a sheet
of paper stating that public meetings needed to be approved ahead of time to
use the meeting room.
Let's see what's wrong with this picture:
1) This form was never mentioned when Dr. Williams told Smith the day
before that he would be coming to the library. But they have a history of
not telling their patrons their policies.
2) This form applied to the meeting room. Dr. Williams had no plans on
using the meeting room.
3) The meeting room has no computers.
4) Who gave Smith the authority to deny anyone access into a public
building, especially law enforcement officials?
TV camera crews were there, plus a radio station who reported live what was
going on. I didn't know about any of this until almost the last moment. I
was supposed to be in a meeting down the street and ran over to this event
for a little while so I did witness what I'm reporting for that morning.
Then I left to attend the meeting I was already late for. The sheriff told
us he didn't want to barge in and that the library would not look favorable.
So the sheriff and police chief left because Smith denied their access.
How's THAT for librarians protecting first amendment rights??? I have some
of this on video. Some of this event was shown on the local news that evening.
>They approached state representatives about passing laws to restrict access
>and were told that would violate the state constitution.
And we were told what? That we would violate the state constitution? This
is the first time I have heard such garbage! Here's what was said in a
letter addressed to the OPLIN director and signed by Governor Voinovich, the
President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
(dated Feb. 21, 1997):
"Dear Mr. Yankus,
This is to request your immediate guidance and assistance with an issue
related to the OPLIN system, and particularly the provision of unlimited
Internet services in public libraries. As you know, a group of concerned
parents recently asked us to take some action to prevent children from being
able to access pornography on the Internet at their public library. Several
legislators are working on statutory provisions to address this concern and
we anticipate that a bill will be introduced soon.
We understand that the Internet is a valuable research tool used by many
public library patrons. However, we also believe that the State of Ohio
should not permit the use of state equipment to allow minors free and
unsupervised access to pornographic material in a public library. There
must be a balance between the needs for unfettered access to the valuable
services provided by the Internet and the desire to protect our children
from harmful material.
Please work with the local libraries, the Department of Administrative
Services, and any other groups you deem necessary to suggest possible
resolutions to this dilemma. We look forward to hearing from you soon;
thank you for your attention to this matter."
Anyone want a copy? I'll be happy to fax it to you.
> Her group then
>went on to mount a campaign to defeat the library's operating levy. During
>this time, while picketing outside the library, they left their children in
>the children's room-- the librarian as babysitter.
Yes, we did have a campaign to defeat the levy. That's the only thing you
got right. But the rest - well I guess this is like one of those urban
legends. We arranged to have children watched by church members at a local
church a few blocks from the library. Most of us left our children at home
with spouses or other family members. Some people had their children
participate in the picket. We have no idea who would have left their
children inside the library. It wasn't anyone we know. My children are not
allowed in the Medina library. We travel to another county if we ever need
to go to a library but we stay out of public libraries as much as possible.
They are not safe places for children to be.
>Her group is closely affiliated with
>the Christian Coalition.
Not true. This is such a common tactic by the radical left. You always
want to align everyone with the Christian Coalition when someone disagrees
with your views. Is this covered in some manual you people follow? Does
the Christian Coalition support our views in this instance? They appear to.
One of the people actively involved in our quest to include parental rights
policies at our library is an active member of the Chrisitan Coalition. She
has worked with us on this issue but she has never been a member of our
group. I've never been a member of her group. In fact, I had talked to
this woman only a few times previously before this issue flared up in our
county. None of the people I have worked with on this issue were friends of
mine before this issue was brought before our library board in Nov. 1996. I
ended up meeting a lot of new people because of this issue when they also
attended meetings to voice their extreme disappointment with our library
board and their anti-family policies.
She has the same approach to ALA as the Family
>Friendly Libraries people, and strongly disapproves of the idea that
>libraries are behaving in a positive light to the challenges the Internet
>poses.
Positive light? Oh. please! You defend the "right" to free and open
access
to all materials in public libraries for children? We believe that is a
violation of federal and state laws. You stand in between a parent and a
child and consider yourself doing something positive? Why did so many state
legislators, school officials, and many others have their eyes just about
pop out of their heads when we showed them the pictures that Dr. Williams
downloaded off of our library computers? One picture showed a woman wearing
a black corset, nothing else, hanging by her arms with her legs spread apart
and chains pulling her genitalia to the ground. Do you really think THAT is
appropriate for children? I know of a lot of adults who would also find
this highly offensive and sexually harassing. There were a number of gang
sex scenes with women being penetrated in more than one area. Is that what
taxpayers are supposed to be funding? You should read all of the complaints
filed by patrons at our library. Even the police are filing complaints!
A police officer reported that a young boy had taken his sister's credit
card number and used the library's computers to order pornographic
materials. He said the boy wanted the police officer to let the library
know that the use of the privacy screens made it easier for this illegal
activity to occur. Gee, taxpayers' dollars at work for the porn industry!
Hmm..... maybe our legislators should investigate to determine whether the
ALA is getting a cut of the profits of the porn industry. After all,
they're so willing to fight any control of the illegal use of state property.
How about the adult male who was reported to have used library computers (in
Medina County) to access porn on a number of occassions. In fact, he let
the kids view his activity numerous times. Word spread around the school
that sits across the street from the library. A number of boys would watch
this activity. Finally, an 11 year-old boy described in detail the hardcore
porn he had seen to his mother. The parents called the police and filed a
police report. The boy told the officer at that time that this adult male
at the library would also follow the boys into the bathroom and watch them
urinate. Not the kind of person I want associating with my kids! How did
this go on for some time and no one notice a crowd of children standing
around this man?
Then there was the 16 year-old girl who was sexually harassed while at the
library by boys who were accessing porn on Medina library computers. She
wrote a great letter that she read to our library board a year ago. Senator
McCain and many others have a copy of that letter. At the last Medina
library board meeting, a mother appeared to report (in tears) how she was
with her 9 year-old daughter in the CHILDREN'S room. They walked up to the
Internet computer and, before they even touched the keyboard, they saw a
teen porn site in plain view. She was with her child at the library in the
children's room. There's no sane excuse for this garbage and why librarians
continue to allow this to go on. Worse yet - fight parents who are only
trying to protect their own children. Parents get very upset when you let
harm come to their precious children. They'll also get very angry.
In Florida, there is an incident report from David Burt's book "Dangerous
Access" (more than 500 incidents listed) where it was reported that a
patron
was found masturbating in front of a computer. I talked to that library two
years ago. I was told then that the problem of men and boys accessing porn
became a significant problem. They now use filtering software. Should OSHA
step in and require librarians to keep a supply of rubber gloves on hand
because libraries can become health hazards? Now with AIDS - a deadly
disease, and other diseases a real possiblity to be spread through these
bodily fluids, shouldn't librarians be protected from such harm while in the
workplace? How do libraries plan to protect the general public from this
harm as well?
How about the man who set up a child pornography ring using the Internet
computers in the L.A. main library? Check out David's book. There are a
lot of reports to read.
> (The levy
>passed by a very nice margin, and a group supporting open access formed in
>response.)
Passed by a nice margin? Boy, you don't know a thing about statistics. I
didn't realize how small the margin was until reporters pointed out the
facts. A nearby library district (also in Medina County) had a similar
library levy on their ballot at the same time. Both library levies were
renewals only. The other library's levy was for a *larger* amount per
resident and I think it passed with about 200% to 300% more yes votes than
ours did. I was told by reporters who cover elections routinely that the
levy result was really very disappointing and they're lucky it passed. They
also said they should be worried about any future levies when they ask for
additional money.
A $77 million school bond levy just passed here last week. It will cost the
owner of a $100,000 home about $200 more a year. We already pay one of the
highest property tax rates in the state. There was a lot of controversy
surrounding the spending involved (includes a rec center which many people
opposed, theater arts center, etc.). That levy passed with almost the same
margin that the library passed with a few years ago - but the dollar amounts
are vastly different! I can't remember now how much the library library
RENEWAL was for. Maybe $23 per year? And it was a renewal! And why was
the new library branch that was part of the school levy original plan
dropped last year? Everything else was kept except the new library branch?
Too hot for the school system to handle? After all, the school system wants
their levy to pass.
Keep in mind that our library did a major snow job on our residents. They
spent thousands of dollars sending false propaganda to people's homes. They
claimed to care about children's access to dangerous materials but failed to
do anything reasonable to correct the situation, and gave voters the
impression that they did. At a breakfast where over 100 community leaders
attended, they passed out a false editorial printed in a major newspaper
that claimed our library had the same controls that other neighboring
libraries had in place. This was completely false and our library officials
passed this out knowing the error without correcting it. When I found out
about it I called the newspaper and told them not to take my word for it and
to call the library themselves to find out what their real policy was. The
newspaper called me back quickly after speaking to our library and
apologized to me and said they would print an immediate retraction. I then
sent the retraction to some community leaders without having the information
on who attended that breakfast.
Smith had the nerve to tell a classroom at a community center for adult
education that the library had filtering software in the children's room - a
boldface lie! He said this right in front of me and others who know the
truth. When I said that Smith wasn't telling the truth, he made a quick
excuse on why he had to leave and he was gone! Everyone in that classroom,
after hearing me and Smith talk for hours, said they were convinced to vote
against the levy. Too bad I couldn't get the truth out to the whole
community. But then I didn't have the use of taxpayers dollars to
unethically use like the library did.
There's so much I could tell all of you. Our library violated city
ordinances on size limits for campaign signs. The city called them for days
to correct the problem and they refused. They were then sent an official
letter stating they would be fined $100/day. Smith took it down, cut it in
half, and reposted it to the poles (I have pictures). Now both pieces were
in violation because they were both still too large. They were finally
forced to shaving off the sides of the signs and posting the two pieces in
separate parts on the library's lawn. It was rather comical. Just for the
record, I still don't know who called the city and complained. It wasn't us
although I'm sure they think it was.
Then there was the whole situation of the library pac violating state laws
regarding their funding. This is much too long for me to go into here. My
group had NOTHING to do with that situation. I know of three other people
who made complaints to the state auditor's office. None of these people are
affiliated with my group or affiliated with each other. I'm sure we got
blamed for that too. My group is not the only one upset by the arrogance of
our library board. There are other groups and individual citizens who have
their valid complaints as well. I heard that someone from the auditor's
office made a trip to our library to speak to the temporary director at that
time. We've learned that state law has been written in the aftermath of
this very public example of misuse of public funds in using public employees
during working hours, using public equipment, to engage in political action
committee activity. One citizen has a tape recording of a president of a
Friends of the Library group (where proceeds from sales of public assets
were funneled through) that they were *forced* to give their book sale
proceeds to the pac.
Then there's a lot of mystery surrounding why Smith quit a good paying
position as library director. I don't know why he "quit." Most people
around here think he was forced out. I guess we'll never know the truth for
sure.
There's so much more but I guess that's enough for now on setting the truth
straight. I have pictures, video tapes, letters from the auditor's office,
newspaper articles, etc. There's also a resident who is suing the Medina
library because they violated his rights, according to the Ohio Sunshine
Laws. I have a long list of similar violations that they've done to me and
others (Public Meetings Act and the Open Records Act). At one point, the
county prosecutor had to get involved because they tried to stop me from
getting access to public records. If you librarians are so bent on
defending freedom of speech and open access to all materials, why do some of
you actively bar that information to the public? Because it casts such a
dark shadow on your actions, when you violate those same rights to others?
So hypocritical......
Oh, one last quick item. When the 1998 library board president presided
over her last public meeting in December, she closed with the comments that
"family and Christian are four lettered words". When a citizen
demanded
that she explain herself, she refused. Talk about arrogance! I could go on
and on but I think you get the picture. Who ever said that truth is
stranger than fiction must have spent some time at the Medina County
District Library.
Michelle Yezerski
------------------------------
Date: 11 May 99 11:55:24 PDT
From: Carol Exner <crexner@netscape.net>
Subject: Re: [Youth Hostile Libraries]
Dear "Anna May,"
I found myself in such a position a few years back. Because I was the
Reference Librarian and not the Youth Services Librarian (we didn't have one;
there was someone who made stabs at book ordering, but that was it) I was told
that "it wasn't in my job description." So I did guerilla YA.
First of all, I tried talking to the kids. I, too, had to act as noise
cop (hated it); but this let me get into the kids' area and --- under the
guise of doing one thing --- do a little YA outreach.
I coopted a bit of wall space and put up some "rockers who love the
library" information. I did a "Heavy Metal Final Exam." I put out
a
questionnaire, not being too surprised at the scatalogical responses scattered
in with the useful ones.
I wasn't able to do anything that I wanted to. But when Kurt Cobain
committed suicide, I had built some bridges to those who wanted to talk and
that was worth it all.
Carol R. Exner
Durham Co. (NC) Library/Parkwood Branch
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 15:41:49 -0400
From: "K. Borchers" <kborch@netra.clc.lib.oh.us>
Subject: Dr. Laura Censorship
I, too would like to voice my displeasure about my Dr. Laura
comments being censored. I felt I had some valid points to make against ALA's
decision to link to the Alice site.
Kate Borchers, Grandview Heights Public Library
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 18:27:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jeri Kladder <jkladder@gcfn.org>
Subject: Re: Dr. Laura
Chuck, (et. al.) But can't parents be expected to arm their children with
information and values and ethics and all that so the kids know how (and
can be trusted) to behave appropriately when the little darlings visit the
library unaccompanied? Seems better to me than hiding "dangerous"
thoughts from them so they don't know how to handle them when they are
confronted with them. Just a thought. - jeri
On Tue, 4 May 1999, Charles Schacht wrote:
> Valorie - I like to think I take a back seat to no one in being in favor of
> parents acting parental and excercising their supervisory functions, but
> let's pause a moment here for a reality check. Unless you're maintaining
> that a good parent would never send his/her offspring to the library
> unattended, I don't see how we can reasonably expect that parents can be
> expected to protect their children from on line perils. <snip>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 12:45:24 -0400
From: bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us (Bina Williams)
Subject: RE: [RE: [teen teasing]]
How about pre-teen teasing....
>From 3-8th grades, I was the scapegoat of my classmates in a small private
school. The girls were the ones who were nice to me when no boys were
around or would come to my house for parties. The boys would torment me on
the bus and at school-- I have very curly hair so I was vicitimized with a
"steel comb to make the rats jump out," oranges squeezed into my hair,
A
boy exposing himself to me on the bus, and, the worst, a dead guppy put
into my sandwich. At one point, a new girl took my place at the bottom of
the pecking order and I joined in with some relief. A teacher pulled me
aside and said..."you didn;t like it when people were mean to you, so you
should not be mean to her." Now, what infuriates me about that is that I
don't think she ever pulled aside any of my tormentors. My parents didn't
know about the torment either. A few months into that year, the girl was
switched back into a lower grade and so I regained my "status."
Actually, one of the teachers dubbed my older sister with the nickname
Water Buffalo which caused her endless distress as well.
This was in the 1961-1967 era when teachers were not so sensitive...
I hope they are better now.
A few years back, I ran into the mother of the worst meanie and I asked
about him. I felt like saying, "Is he rich so I can sue him now???"
I think that what I wish had happened was that teachers would be more alert
to that type teasing and have no tolerance for it. Parents of both the
teasers and the teased need to be involved as well.
I do get smug satisfaction that many of those kids, even the boys, have
paid big bucks for perms to have "naturally curly" hair!!!
Bina Williams
Bridgeport Public Library
Bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 13:43:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: Kelly <mckelly@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
Subject: Re: Dr. or Prez?
Get a grip. The two are not related at all or do you not read!!!
On Sat, 8 May 1999 Pisces0243@aol.com wrote:
> Does anyone really believe that If we end up with mandatory filtering at
the
> end of the year, it will be the result of Dr. Laura's exploitation and
> hypocrisy (and exploitation and hypocrisy they are, indeed, in my opinion)?
> Really, now, won't it be because of the far more shameless and calculated
> hypocrisy and exploitation of the murders in Colorado by Clinton and Gore?
> and the audacity to talk about violent images in the same hour as ever more
> murderous missiles are being launched to kill collateral young adults?
>
> Which hypocrisy do you think teenagers sense - and know - is far more
deadly?
> I think most will blow off the Doc as worthy of an offcolor joke or a
finger,
> understanding that Clinton-Gore's is the one that will get them killed.
>
> And i do not think it will be lost on kids for a moment that we choose to
> pick on a relatively powerless foe, because we lack the courage to
challenge
> the foe with power. I don't think kids are fooled by the lesson in that at
> all.
>
> sense of proportionality. folks...
>
> thom stuart
> St. Cloud, MN
>
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 02:46:03 -0400
From: Dana C Kelly <dckelly@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us>
Subject: "reading corners" in doctors offices
A local doctor's office has approached me about putting a "reading
corner" in their waiting room. I am looking for funding sources for
them, what others have done, anything that I can offer to help them in
this project. Thanks in advance for any and all help.
- --
Dana C Kelly (dckelly@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us)
Fontana Regional Library
33 Fryemont St.
Bryson City, NC 28713
(828) 488-2382 Fax: (828) 488-2638
"Opinions expressed in this message may not represent the policy
of my library"
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 17:16:42 EDT
From: "Lisa Prolman" <lprolman@hotmail.com>
Subject: question on reserves
Greetings all:
Our Assistant Director asked me to post this question on how other libraries
reserve books that are on order.
Here's the situation:
Recently our computer system has started allowing us to list books as being
O/O, or 'on order' in our OPACs. This has resulted in a flood of reserve
slips being generated for these books. Historically, when we have had a
'Request to Purchase' slip for a new book, we have put these with the book
orders so that we can make sure the patron who requested the book has first
crack at it.
As near as I can tell, what is happening now is that books are falling
through the cracks, as it were. The books that have been reserved are going
right up on the new shelf and being checked out by other people. We're
having a hard time matching the reserve slips with the volumes of books
coming in.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how this can be improved?
TIA
Lisa Prolman
Assistant Children's Librarian "All things considered,
Greenfield Public Library insanity may be the only
402 Main Street reasonable alternative."
Greenfield, MA 01301
(413)772-1590
lprolman@hotmail.com
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 19:57:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: carmel <carmel@ulysses.sebridge.org>
Subject: Re: Infant story times -- What to read...
I suggest you contact Bobbie Clapp at the Mid-Hudson Library System, (New
York) at 914 471-6060. She coordinated this very program for some of the
libraries in the system. It was very successful and she is a wealth of
information! Tell her I said to call... Marilyn Schlansky, Reed Library,
Carmel, NY
On Fri, 7 May 1999, Jo-Anne Cooper wrote:
> I am in the process of ordering materials so that we can start the Books
and
> Babies program in September. I too would love suggestions of titles.Thanks.
> Jo-Anne
>
>
> --
> Jo-Anne C. Cooper
> Manager of Library Services
> Wetaskiwin Public Library
> 5002 - 51 Avenue
> Wetaskiwin, Alberta.
> T9A 0V1
> Phone 1-780-352-4055
> FAX 1-780-352-3266
> e-mail wpl1@ccinet.ab.ca
>
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 18:24:32 -0500
From: "Mary Seratt, Sr.Manager, Main Children's"
<SERATTM@memphis.lib.tn.us>
Subject: hooking up children with inappropriate materials???
Pardon me, but we do not filter and we do not "hook children up with
inappropriate materials" here at our library- and I'm pretty confident that
our colleagues are not doing that either at their respective libraries.
I couldn't tell where the "bplib" is located, so I couldn't figure out
how to find their web site, so I can't tell whether or not they have a
page devoted especially to children. Here in Memphis, TN, we have a
web site, and along with pages for each of the branches, we also have
subject department pages, and this includes a children's department page.
I'll be the first to admit that it is a "work in progress", and plans
are in the works to upgrade the whole site, BUT it does include carefully
selected (by librarians) links to selected sites. We also offer kid/
parent Internet classes. We also offer guidance to kids looking for
specific information on the Internet. We hardly "set them loose" in a
sea
of trash! Older kids will make more of their own decisions than little kids
will- they can choose to follow our links or not. They can choose to
follow our guidlines or not. They can choose to follow their own family's
guidance or not. Mostly, they choose wisely. MOstly, they choose to use
their half hour turn productively. If they had unlimited time, maybe they'd
waste more of it. The combination of limited time and links that get them
to the information (and games and music, etc.) they need and want seems to
do the trick for us.
If we want to talk about setting kids loose to do as they please, then lets
talk about the kids that parents tell to hang out at a public building for
a couple of hours while they go to the casinos!
Sorry about the apostrophes and other punctiation that tend to drive the
translator crazy- but this really hit one of my buttons! Mary
Mary Seratt
Memphis/Shelby Co. (TN) Public Library
serattm@memphis.lib.tn.us
**************my own opinions*************
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 11:40:25 -0500
From: Karen Stanley <kstanley@rosenberg-library.org>
Subject: Re: Dr. Laura
I'm not losing anyone's trust and I don't believe that filtering
Internet computers is the answer. Libraries do not have to offer
Internet access; we could just use it to help us answer reference
questions.
If we choose to make it available to patrons they should be privy to
full access. We don't subscribe to magazines and newspapers and then
mark through or tear out materials of an offensive nature. Pornography
is not protected by the First Amendment and I don't believe anyone needs
to access pornographic sights at the library. That can be stated in
your acceptable use policy.
Karen Stanley
Rosenberg Library
Galveston, TX
*Of course, these are my own opinions.
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