Today you get two pictures.

Today you get two pictures. If this is the blog where PEZ and Libraries collide I suppose there should be at least one Library related PEZ pic up, eh? KB took it for me while he was visiting a library in Rhode Island. It's tiny, but it is a PEZ collection in a Library. Pshaw! Now HERE is a PEZ collection!

You also get something you should have seen at Easter. Or on Libraryman Day. Anyway, look at the pretty picture.

The New York Times 2003

The New York Times 2003 Librarian Awards

''We are proud to support and honor public librarians across the nation, who do so much to nurture a better-informed society.
The awards honor those librarian who consistently demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism, knowledge and public service in the execution of their duties.
Winners will be announced in The Times in December and will each receive $2,500.''
-via Tracey @ Studio Zoe

Being on vacation is a

Being on vacation is a good reason to not post for ten days, right? It has been a while, but you will see here how worth the wait it has all been! You'll be much relieved to know that I did do more of what might questionably be called library "research" during these missing days. Now just because this research entailed simply walking around various large and small cities and town across Italy doesn't take away the research value, does it? Nah! So with no further ado I present to you the fruits of my difficult and laborious search for more Library information from Italy:

First, we happily find another "Biblioteca Communale". No, it's not just another pic from Assisi. This Library is in the beautiful Umbrian hill town of Spello. Don't Public Libraries just make you happy too?

On to the Duomo in Sienna where there was a small library called the "Libreria Piccolominea". This is a very small and highly ornamented library whose collection consisted entirely of illuminated manuscripts. Not your average collection to say the least. I tried to check some out but they weren't having any of that business. Actually, my Italian is a bit weak and when I tried to ask them about checking things out, you know, to read in the hotel and stuff, I think I asked them where to find the Tang factory with a Pope Mobile. Not speaking the language just makes things harder that way.

The last Library uncovered by my "research" was the Central National Library in Firenze, (Florence to the rest of us). It was under construction and this is the best picture you could get of the place.

I'll likely post a few more things about the trip over the next week or two, but before I wrap up this big Euro Library post, I have to tell you about a CD that I added to my personal music library. Many of you know I am a huge fan of Prince (yes, he has gone back to using his name again). Anyway, I have so many P CDs it's crazy. It therefore goes without saying that whenever I see a new P CD I buy it. Well, the airport in Milan had such a CD. Actually, and I knew it when I bought it, it is a CD containing "The Music of Prince- Performed by Rizzo". As I was writing this post I popped it in and, uh, wow. It is classic. Dig if you will a picture of you and I engaged in listening to someone that doesn't speak English, know the correct lyrics and plays a cheap keyboard and drum machine. I mean, man, it is baaaad. So bad in fact, that it goooood! The best is "Get (sic) Off". If you ask me to, I'll play it for you next time you visit. C'mon, you know you want to hear it and I promise you won’t be sorry.

Here is a picture snapped

Here is a picture snapped at the doors of the PL in Assisi. May post one later from Mentelpuciano (and who know where else) but this is enough computer stuff for a bit!

I may be in Tuscany,

I may be in Tuscany, but who can escape the power of The Library? See, I was in the shower the morning after I visited the library in Assisi and I began to wonder how they could manage without a good Internet connection. It sure it seems they could use some new technology. Anyway, whilst scrubbing away I started to think about the size of their print collection and then began to wonder if they had ILL (Inter-Library Loan). Of course, I was then thinking that what they really needed were enormous digitzed reference collections.
Where is this story going? Don't ask me, I'm vacationing in Sienna right now! Oh wait, I know! This article in the SF Chronicle reminded me of those recent Library thoughts. As Homer Simpson would say: Mmmmmm...Robots digitizing collections.......
This post is little crazy, isn't it? I think what I need is a vacation.

Assisi, Italy, Public Library facts:

Assisi, Italy, Public Library facts:
1. While the stacks are open, you can't enter the Library unless you are buzzed in by the Librarian.
2. The Librarian doesn't speak English (and this Librarian doesn't speak Italian).
3. The ceilings of the multi-room facility are covered in highly decorative trim and fresco paintings.
4. You can expect a standard small/medium sized Library collection including children's books.
5. You can't take pictures in the Library even if it is empty of patrons. I imagine this rule might slide if you spoke some decent Italian.
6. Finally, there isn't one computer in the whole place.

Arrivederci!

Did you know it is

Did you know it is National Unappreciated Librarian Month? -via LISNews

A great story from Edmonton must have been written for the occasion, no?

I'll be somewhat pressed for time over the next couple of weeks otherwise I would look into this more myself. Is there really not a web page for this national month long holiday?! This must be corrected!

This is just the first

This is just the first of many plugs for the new Librarian web site WebJunction.org. This site has been formed with a combination of high quality organizations, very hard work and major cash flow from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (where I used to work:).
At this point, my favorite part of the site us the Community Center, where Librarians can communicate with each other about whatever they need to (professionally anyway:). It will hopefully turn into a very popular and active professional resource for us. From MP and Library Man it gets a gold star and we highly recommend you visit often.
WebJunction just went live so expect a work in progress. Still, it is a work that has been in development for many months and involves a suprising number of hours of planning and consultation. It is edifying to see ideas move into reality like this, especially in our little Library World!

Perhaps the fine visitors to

Perhaps the fine visitors to libraryman.com can chime in on this. For the last several years, every time I wrote the word ''librarian'' I always used a capital ''L''. Same for Public Library. Of course it was not grammatically correct to do this, but I thought it indicated the esteem I hold for the professionals and the institutions. Call it silly creative writing or good point, since I have been jotting a great deal lately I have been thinking that perhaps I should not use those officially incorrect capitalizations. Any thoughts?

A huge thank you goes

A huge thank you goes out to the most excellent KB. I've got some moving and shaking coming up quickly and he jumped up and snagged me from a little pickle of a fix. That sounded weird, but suffice it to say he pitched in with some FTP and web dev stuff I couldn't get to right now. Thanks a fifty gazzillion, KB. Everyone else we know in Seatlle appreciates, enjoys and uses his expertise. Just ask them, they are my blog buddies (mostly). You know, I'd still be friends with him if he didn't do the blog things, I just wouldn't tell him about my favorite Helium record or buy him a "thanks for the code and post" dinner. Thanks, home-silce.

Via our pals over at

Via our pals over at LISNews we find a story about an overdue book returned after 94 years. After having dealt with so many weird returned item situations I imagine this doesn't strike most of us as dramatically it does the general public.
However, it reminds me of the play "Underneath the Lintel". Evidently the show is a great big off Broadway hit. It is only natural then that a theater company here in Seattle did its own version recently. It's about a Librarian that becomes obsessed with finding who returned an overdue book. A VERY overdue book. I don't know how long it will be posted, but here is an article about the show from the Seattle PI.

The new director of the

The new director of the Minneapolis Public Library system refused to take more pay than the police chief. That's cool, but she sure has her work cut out for her in that system/state. As a non-librarian it will be interesting to see what she does to make that system improve. There are some phenomenal Librarians working in Minnesota and the Minneapolis area though so at least she has some staffing issues already solved. If only Chad and Susan ran things around there, then we'd see good things happen!

This one is for Aaron.

This one is for Aaron. via Book Notes Blogs

I have received several emails

I have received several emails asking if this was Libraryman's doing. While it is quite understandable that people would think this, it really isn't Libraryman's bag. I haven't actually checked with him but I think he spent the weekend with Jeb Bush in Florida explaining the finer details and consequences surrounding the state's recent push for filtering in libraries. If he did meet with Jeb, you FL Librarians will likley see a large funding increase very shortly.

An oldie/goodie: "In fact a

An oldie/goodie: "In fact a few simple mathematical calculations reveal that if reference librarians were paid at market rates for all the roles they play, they would have salaries well over $200,000." -Will Manley (The Truth About Reference Librarians. McFarland, 1996, p. 30)

Holy Librarian! Not the best

Holy Librarian! Not the best site, but you've got to love that graphic!

We'll all enjoy it, but

We'll all enjoy it, but this is a shout out to Spaghetti Steve:
"Let me tell you something, funny boy... You know that little stamp? The one that says New York Public Library? Well, that may not mean anything to you, but that means a lot to me. One whole helluva lot. Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before -- flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... Why's this guy making such a big stink about old library books? Let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me.... Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world. What about that kid, sitting down, opening a book right now in a branch of the local library and finding pictures of pee-pees and wee-wees in The Cat in the Hat and The Five Chinese Brothers. Doesn't he deserve better? Look, if you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped. Or maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld... Maybe that's how you get your kicks... You and your goodtime buddies... I've got a flash for you, joy boy. Partytime is over."
- Lt. Bookman, in "The Library"

More quotes from this phenomenal Seinfeld episode can be found here.

Said with tongue planted firmly

Said with tongue planted firmly in cheek:
In a flagrant disregard for life ALA stubbornly decides to keep this June"s annual conference in Toronto. It was quite a ride while it lasted wasn't it folks?

The logical conclusion? If you

The logical conclusion? If you read this blog you are a better driver than most.

Via Bentley's Journal we find the text to a GEICO Magazine article about how great libraries are. I'll bet there are stats that show people that visit libraries or drive to libraries regularly or support libraries have fewer accidents. They wouldn't write and send this article out to their customers just to plug the library, would they?

Apparently the little old Libraryman

Apparently the little old Libraryman blog is worthy of academic attention!

Dr L. Anne Clyde from The University of Iceland teaches Internet courses and this lesson focuses on Weblogs. This site is listed as one to visit! Ahhh academia my dark, sweet mistress. Perhaps some day we'll be together. In the meantime little mentions like this are nice. And hopefully useful.

I really am trying to put more Library specific things up here. I hope librarians will check it out and periodically find things helpful to them or their community.

Thanks for the plug Dr. Clyde. If you can get me a job in a library teaching computers to students, working with library operations and such do let me know. I would totally live in Iceland! :)