Library Theft Suspect Arrested…at the Library

Police have arrested a man accused of using the names of imaginary children on library cards to steal from libraries all over the First Coast.

Ironically, police handcuffed 34-year-old Jermaine Smith at the library.

Investigators say Smith stole nearly $7,000 worth of DVDs, comic books and sounds recordings over two years.

Smith is accused of opening nearly a dozen library cards under fake children’s names to steal items, and sell them for cash.

“Sometimes people will open different account under different children’s names,” said public library spokesperson Stacie Bucher. “When we find a pattern of fraud, we do pursue it.”

Authorities found something unusual late last month after discovering Smith’s driver’s license number on eleven different cards.

Detectives later found out Smith had been selling the items he checked out to pawn shops. Police said he sold 229 DVDs to local stores. Smith admitted to detectives he received $1 per movie. Bucher says this is a crime against taxpayers, the library and people who use Jacksonville’s public libraries.

Source: Firstcoastnews.com

+ Library system will soon charge for loan program (Sampson Independent)
One library begins to charge for ILL.

+ Algiers library to close Saturday (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

From the JISC Exec Summary:

The rising tide of digital research data raises issues relating to access, curation and preservation for HEIs and within the UK a growing number of research funders are now implementing policies requiring researchers to submit data management, preservation or data sharing plans with their funding applications. This study provides: Research funders are implementing policies requiring researchers to submit data management, preservation or data sharing plans with their applications

Brief overviews of the potential benefits to HEIs of preservation of research data; issues that HEIs will need to consider when determining the medium to long-term costs of data preservation; and different service models. A framework and guidance for determining costs consisting of:

* A list of key cost variables and potential units of record
* An activity model divided into pre-archive, archive, and support services
* A resources template including major cost categories in TRAC; and divided into the major phases from our activity model and by duration of activity

A series of case studies from Cambridge University, King’s College London, Southampton University, and the Archaeology Data Service at York University, illustrating different aspects of costs for research data within HEIs. Recommendations for future work and use/adaptation of software costing tools to assist implementation

Source: JISC

From the announcement:

Changes in the English website of Kungl. Biblioteket, National Library of Sweden. The National Library’s new website was launched in September 2007, with numerous improvements. Today we launch the section intended for English-speaking target groups with a new design and navigation system, developed according to the same principles. The new address is www.kb.se/english

Source: European Library

+ McMaster University Library Partners With Kirtas Technologies, Ristech and Lulu.com to Unleash Thousands of Rare Books to the World

+ Canada: Burst pipe forces closing of Library and Archives Canada building (via National Post)

+ Indiana: Library officials look at sharing resources (via Indy Star)

+ Indiana man accused of stealing from Kentucky library (via The Examiner)

+ Supervisors OK library cuts (via Modesto Bee)

From the report:

Volume 7 of the IFLA/FAIFE World Report Series – Access to libraries and information: Towards a fairer world – provides a world perspective on several issues regarding freedom of expression and freedom of access to information.

The IFLA/FAIFE World Report Series is unique. It is the only source that provides an overview of how libraries around the world are tackling barriers to freedom of access to information and freedom of expression. Its systematic data collection process expands upon previous reports and enables comparison over time. The 2007 edition contains 116 country reports, based on questionnaires and additional research carried out by the Department of Information Science at the University of Pretoria, which provide current details on library statistics; Internet access in libraries and the digital divide; filtering and blocking of online information; user privacy and anti-terror legislation; violations of intellectual freedom; access to HIV/AIDS information; women and freedom of access to information; library codes of ethics, the IFLA Internet Manifesto and the Glasgow Declaration.

Direct to Full Report (Volume 7)

Source: IFLA

Here’s a program that deserves watching its effectiveness over time.

From the announcement:

OCLC and Google Inc. have signed an agreement to exchange data that will facilitate the discovery of library collections through Google search services.

Under terms of the agreement, OCLC member libraries participating in the Google Book Search™ program, which makes the full text of more than one million books searchable, may share their WorldCat-derived MARC records with Google to better facilitate discovery of library collections through Google.

Google will link from Google Book Search to WorldCat.org, which will drive traffic to library OPACs and other library services. Google will share data and links to digitized books with OCLC, which will make it possible for OCLC to represent the digitized collections of OCLC member libraries in WorldCat.

Source: OCLC

From the abstract:

As centers of lifelong learning, museums and libraries contain a wealth of resources and information that can help youth fulfill their vast potential. To assist museums and libraries in their development of effective and engaging youth programs, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has published Nine to Nineteen: Youth in Museums and Libraries; A Practitioner’s Guide, the newest resource in the Museums and Libraries Engaging America’s Youth Initiative series.

The guide features several examples of successful youth programming from around the country, as well as useful information for planning exemplary youth programs. In the guide, practitioners can find resources on funding, evaluation, and out-of-school programs gathered from those working in the youth and community development, education, and informal learning fields. Nine to Nineteen is geared toward museums and libraries, but is also useful to community planners, youth development leaders, and educators who want to connect with the many types of organizations and institutions that serve youth in our communities.

Source: IMLS

Library and Info Industry Briefs

+ Library system tackling vandalism (via Daily Reflector)

+ Hartford Public Library: A Study In Bad Behavior (via Hartford Courant)

+ UK: City’s Most Overdue Library Book (via Manchester Evening News)

From the news release:

The Action Plan from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council is the result of extensive consultation and engagement with stakeholders and sets out an agenda for change for public libraries in England with the aspiration of making every public library a great public library.

Source: MLA

From the article:

Will the world’s biggest book seller become the world’s biggest book publisher? Authors hope so.

What would this mean for libraries, cataloging, and bibliographic control?

Source: Forbes

From the BBC:
A three-year strategy to modernise libraries across Wales will be launched by the Welsh Assembly Government later.

£10.5m funding for the Libraries for Life programme had already been announced in March.

It aims to improve facilities and allow more than 20% of libraries to open at least 10 hours a week by the year 2011.

Source: BBC

Articles include:

+ PREMIS With a Fresh Coat of Paint: Highlights from the Revision of the PREMIS Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata

+ A Year of Selective Web Archiving with the Web Curator Tool at the National Library of New Zealand

+ Considering the User Perspective: Research into Usage and Communication of Digital Information

+ Adding Value to the Library Catalog by Implementing a Recommendation System

Articles include:

+++ Library Research Skills: A Needs Assessment for Graduate Student Workshops
by Kristin Hoffmann, Fred Antwi-Nsiah, Vivian Feng, and Meagan Stanley,
The University of Western Ontario

+++ Providing Information Literacy Instruction to Graduate Students through
Literature Review Workshops
by Hannah Gascho Rempel, Oregon State University and Jeanne Davidson,
Arizona State University

+++ Evolution of Reference: A New Service Model for Science and Engineering
Libraries
by Marianne Stowell Bracke, Purdue University, Sainath Chinnaswamy,
University of Arizona, and Elizabeth Kline, University of Arizona

+++ Does Chemistry Content in a State Electronic Library Meet the Needs of
Smaller Academic Institutions and Companies?
by Meghan Lafferty, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

+ Former Saskatoon librarian pleads guilty to nearly $1 million fraud (via CP)

+ The Transparent Library: Embracing Service to Teens (via LJ)