Professional Reading Shelf
Public Libraries–New Orleans
Source: The Villager
Read it and weep: New Orleans libraries are in ruins
“Public libraries are indispensable to poor communities like New Orleans, because they serve as cultural centers for people who still have the integrity not to surrender to television and video games. Public library buildings are also useful for sheltering a great number of people. If anyone in government would have given any thought to public libraries in New Orleans, they might have built them to serve as shelters in a disaster. The storm that ripped the roof right off the scandalous poverty in our city also exposed the shabby treatment of programs intended to better community life. The complete lack of foresight and imagination by the bureaucrats in charge of public monies is beyond appalling. It’s criminal. Libraries may not be the first priority in a city beset by thousands of personal tragedies and hundreds of major and urgent needs, but they are an irreplaceable piece of the complex puzzle of urban civilization. Take away the library and what you have is a mindless shopping mall.” Commentary by Andrei Codrescu.
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Libraries–United Kingdom
Source: ALA
Dozens of British Libraries May Close
“Approximately 50 British libraries — many in small or isolated communities — could close this year as local governments in at least six counties look for ways to cut costs or more effectively allocate funds they spend on libraries.”
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Metadata
Preservation
Source: OCLC/RLG
PREMIS Maintenance Activity advances work begun by joint OCLC-RLG working group
“Following publication of the award-winning PREMIS Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata in May 2005, the PREMIS Maintenance Activity, with financial support provided by the Library of Congress, has commissioned two consultancies to move the PREMIS work forward.”
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Institutional Repositories–Books
Source: JISC
New book explores institutional repositories
“Written by Theo Andrew and John MacColl of the University of Edinburgh and Richard Jones of the University of Bergen in Norway, the book — The Institutional Repository — explores the concept of institutional repositories, examining how they can be set up, maintained and embedded into general institutional working practice.”
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Open Accesss Archives
Source: University of Nottingham, UK and University of Lund, Sweden
New, Directory of Open Access Archives
“OpenDOAR – the Directory of Open Access Repositories – is pleased to
announce the release of its primary listing of open access archives, available
from www.opendoar.org“

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