News & Features
Special April 1 Report
from the ALCTS Office
In what has become a tradition, the following message was issued to the Leaders Listserv by ALCTS Executive Director Charles Wilt on April 1, 2005. It is reproduced here so all members can enjoy it!--Ed.
Now, on to the news....
Seattle has announced a new PR campaign in anticipation of the ALA Midwinter Meeting there in January 2007. Taking a page from the Pork Industry's recent success, Seattle's new campaign brand is: "Seattle: The Other Washington"
With the sudden withdrawal of Madeleine Albright as 2006 ALA Annual Conference Opening General Session speaker, ALA has secured the services of Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security Secretary.
The Journal of Open Access was launched this past January. Subscriptions are $250 a year. An electronic version is forthcoming.
In anticipation of the 2007 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., conference organizers have announced the "Million Library Worker March" on Washington, DC. A rally is expected for the front steps of the Library of Congress (pending the completion of the security fence around the Capitol Building).
Two new reality shows have hit the TV airwaves: "Director Swap" and "Trading Collections."
A new television event is coming on the heels of the successful, "How William Shatner Changed the World." The new show will be called, "How Keith Michael Fiels Changed the ALA Council."
With a heavily financed campaign, the AACR Coalition (a militant anti-RDA faction within the cataloging community) has continued its call for rejection of the newly developed RDA principles. AACRC has proposed that the library community adopt their "Intelligent Description" approach. An unnamed AACRC spokesperson has petitioned library schools to teach "ID" along side the new RDA in their curricula. There is no truth to the rumor that the Kansas State Library has urged Kansas libraries to follow the AACRC approach.
The new name for the ALA-APA is: The ACLU - Associated Coalition of Librarians United
The recently announced merger of NCLIS, IMLS, and NCES has produced the Rumpelstiltskinian acronym, NNCCESLIIMLSSS. (in this case, guess the pronunciation) The new agency's director position will now rotate every year (instead of the current four years) among the following groups: libraries, museums, educators, statisticians, the House, the Senate, the Executive Office, NSA, and FEMA.
According to a highly placed government official, there is no truth to the allegation that the proposed closing of EPA libraries is an attempt by the administration to fold more government information resources into the newly created agency, NNCCESLIIMLSSS. Rumors persist that GPO and the Library of Congress might be next.
On the eve of the release of the Non-English Access report, Beth Camden, leader of the task group, has confirmed several unusual messages that recently appeared on her computer screen. "The first one appeared Tuesday morning as I logged on to my computer.'Greetings from Opak'
Tagg, Director of the Romulan Digitary Authority'." According to Ms. Camden, the message asked the task group not to ignore non-Earth based communications systems. "Shortly after I received this one from the Romulans, I was contacted by the Vulcans, the Clingons, and the Caldassians." Similar messages were received by other task group members, ALCTS President Bazirjian, and ALA President Gorman.
In the "don't ask if you don't want it" category, President Bush announced yesterday that he is nominating Laura Bush as the next Librarian of Congress. Noting that he didn't want to wait until there was a vacancy like he had to with the Supreme Court, the President continued his practice of nominating people close to him for high-level government positions.
AL Direct disclosed, in its most recent issue, that the company that manages the ALA conferences is being bought by the UAE based management company, Neverland Entertainment, headquartered in Dubai. Repeated calls to both companies went unanswered. An investigation by the ALA Executive Board is pending.
Debate continues on the Council list concerning a resolution that condemns the foreign takeover of U.S. based cataloging records. Emails and phone calls to Marc Format of the EU went answered.
Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, has announced a new rebuilding program for his city. In collaboration with the A&E channel, a new show will premiere in conjunction with the ALA Annual Conference's workdays this June. Hosted by Jimmy Carter and Bob Vila, "Flip This City" will have an initial sixteen-week run.
The candy maker, M&M/Mars, has announced a new candy promotion just in time to celebrate National Library Week:
- ERMS - fruit flavored squiggly things in a can
- Stacks - layers of nougat covered in milk chocolate
- SHHHHH!!! - soft chewy outside with a liquid mint center for especially fresh breath
- Brittles - crunchy peanut butter bits that crumble in your hand
- NACO wafers - retro candy just like you remembered growing up
And in the final item for this Update: The National Zoo has confirmed the first birth, in a zoo anywhere in the world, of a FRBeaR. The new baby was born on March 17 and is named Bib. Mother and baby are doing fine.
|
