Christmas Book Drive!

The CLA Student Chapter at the University of Alberta is currently running it's annual Christmas book drive.

Last year the organization donated 251 books to local community partners and hopefully we can help them exceed that number this year. With the economic trouble the past year has brought, it is as important as ever to try and support our community.
They are collecting new and used books of all types to give to a number of local charitable organizations and literacy groups.
They are especially looking for new books for children (up to 12 years), paperbacks, aboriginal titles, popular fiction and current bestsellers. The CLA Student Chapter will be distributing the donated books to various groups including the GELA Community Bookshelf, Santas Anonymous and Prison Sub-Committees

Books and cash donations can be dropped off in the blue 'gift boxes' and collection jars in the SLIS office or the student lounge on campus. Cash donations will be used to purchase new books for Santas Anonymous.

Jessamine County Public Library Staff Fired Over Censorship of Graphic Novel

BoingBoing is reporting that two library workers at a Lexington Kentucky public library Jessamine County Public Library have been fired in response to an attempt to keep a copy of Alan Moore's graphic novel "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman: The Black Dossier" out of circulation. The two employees collaborated to keep the book unavailable by keeping it checked out for over a year and then removing the hold when an 11 year old requested the book. Both employees have been fired and the library management are not commenting on the situation, referring to it as a personal matter.

Another article from THE BEAT has a slightly longer discussion about censorship in public libraries and where materials like Moore's graphic novel should be shelved.

Obama Discusses Internet Censorship at Shanghai Town Hall

President Obama is currently visiting China and held a town hall meeting with students in Shanghai where he took the following question:

“Should we be able to use Twitter freely?”

Obama's answer was diplomatic, candid and sets an excellent tone for discussion of this issue. The meeting was live broadcast in China and through the White House website with simultaneous translation. The questions and Obama's responses remained up and accessible hours after the event:

“I should be honest, as president of the United States, there are times where I wish information didn’t flow so freely because then I wouldn’t have to listen to people criticizing me all the time,” he said. But, he added, “because in the United States, information is free, and I have a lot of critics in the United States who can say all kinds of things about me, I actually think that that makes our democracy stronger and it makes me a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don’t want to hear.”

Read the entire NYT article here

IBBY Children in Crisis

The Internation Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) has a wonderful project focusing on the power of bibliotherapy to help children who have been traumatized by war, civil disruption or natural disasters. The IBBY Children in Crisis Fund supports the theraputic use of storytelling and books through bibliotherapy as well as creating or rebuilding collections tailored to the community they are supporting. The program aims to provide immediate emergency help as well as long term.
Current projects are talking place in Gaza, Columbia, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

IBBY has a Canadian chapter and they accept donations toward these humanitarian projects through the main IBBY website (in US dollars, Swiss Francs or Euros).

Help out the Edmonton Food Bank

The Edmonton Food Bank Needs Your Help!

Supplies at the Edmonton Food Bank are lower than they have ever been in the last 8 years and the organization is facing other challenges, including the cancellation of the Bright Nights Festival - a major source of funding and food - so please consider helping out this amazing resource for Edmontonians in need.

You can buy a $5.00 package for the Food Bank at your local grocery store - most stores offer this option or something like it - and please ask people you know to do the same.

Alternately, you can organize a food or fund drive at work or school!

The Food Bank does have a list of most needed items here: link.

Thanks for your support in keeping this valuable agency alive and thriving!

FLIF

Library 101!

I have been meaning to post about this multimedia project for awhile, please visit Library101 to check out a wonderful collection of library resources and essays (including a great cheesy video made in collaboration by many librarians).
There are essays from various library supporters (including President Obama!), it is largely US focused but is a fun look at current library trends.