Library Juice Number 1:38 - October 21, 1998
Contents: 1. New Nobels 2. Websites useful at election time 3. News stories appearing in the October 19 American Libraries Online 4. "News from the Public Library Association" - electronic newsletter 5. Current Awareness Resources using Internet Audio and Video 6. Alternative Press Review web site (new and improved) 7. "The Library Dragon" by Carmen Agra Deedy 8. JAMA Women's Health Information Center 9. Address Directory of the World's Politicians 10. AgDB, the National Agriculture Library directory of databases 11. John Berry editorial on the BSA situation, letter from Al Kagan 12. BUTTONS!! Show your support for the Alternative Press!! 13. A useful list of currently available Chicano/Latino videos 14. Link to NY Times article on internet filtering in Austin, TX 15. Link to article on internet limits at Denver Public Library 16. ALA Action Alert - Istook (filtering) Amendment is still not dead 17. ALA Awards - descriptions and instructions for applying 18. Diversity-based MLIS Fellowships at University of Oklahoma 19. Upcoming nationwide paper bag over the head demonstration 20. FAIR Action Alert: CIA Admissions, Media Omissions Quote for the week: "Of all the professions, librarianship is probably the most derivative and synthetic, is the most dependent upon the more formal disciplines for its own theoretical structure and its corpus of practice. In the past librarians have been disposed to view this characteristic as a fundamental weakness, and it has therefore generated a considerable feeling of professional inferiority. Yet this very quality has given librarianship a uniquely strategic position of leadership in the integration of human knowledge, and it could make of librarianship a great unifying force, not only in the world of scholarship, but also throughout all human life." -Jesse Shera, _The Foundations for Education in Librarianship_, pp. 202-3 ___________________________________________________________________________ 1. New Nobels 1998 Nobel Peace Prize http://www.nobel.se/announcement-98/peace98.html 1998 Nobel Prizes http://www.nobel.se/announcement-98/ Over the past week, the Nobel Foundation has announced the winners of its 1998 prizes, beginning with the Prize for Literature on October 8 and culminating with the Peace Prize this morning. This year's Peace Prize was awarded to John Hume and David Trimble "for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland." A list of the winners and summaries of their accomplishments in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine (described in the Scout Report for Science and Engineering for October 14, 1998--http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/sci-engr/current/#1), Economics, and Literature are available from the main site. [MD] >From the Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-1998. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. Websites useful at election time from Fred Stoss .......................................................................... FYI. As we get closer to election time, these sites might be of use for you and your library users. Fred Stoss From: EarthNet News -- September 17, 1998 1) A state by state listing of candidate's web page http://www.voxpop.org/classic/campaign98.html 2) The League of Women Voters site provides various GOTV strategies and legal information. http://www.lwv.org/elect.html 3) Federal Voting Assistance Project Absentee voting information http://www.fvap.gov ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. News stories appearing in the October 19 American Libraries Online Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 16:18:27 -0500 From: Gordon Flagg <gflagg[at]ala.org> News stories appearing in the October 19 American Libraries Online <http://www.ala.org/alonline/> * Congress, White House Agree on Internet Child-Protection Measures * Digital Copyright Bill Passed by Congress * Copyright Term Extension Act Awaits President's Signature * Arkansas Supreme Court Removes Property Tax Repeal from Ballot * Over Director's Objections, Trustees Approve Children's-Area Filters * Strike Hits Libraries in Glasgow, Scotland * Medina County Library Foes Stymied Again * Brazil's National Library Faces Funding Cut * Three More State Library Groups Take Anti-Filtering Stands * Career Shift: Autograph Hound to Book Vandal American Libraries' Web site also features the latest "Internet Librarian" columns by Karen Schneider; AL's "Career Leads" job ads; listings of conferences, continuing-education courses, exhibitions, and other events from AL's "Datebook"; and Tables of Contents for the current year. ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. "News from the Public Library Association" - electronic newsletter (Distributed to ALA lists) News from the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association, will be regularly available through a new electronic newsletter. The newsletter will provide member subscribers with up-to-date information on conferences and PLA events. To subscribe, send a request to listproc[at]ala.org. Leave the subject line blank. As the only line of text in the body of the message, enter the following: subscribe [planews] [yourfirstname] [yourlastname] [yourALAnumber] Do not include the brackets in your message. Approval for subscription may take a few days. Contact PLA at 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA, for more information. ___________________________________________________________________________ 5. Current Awareness Resources using Internet Audio and Video To: COMLIB-L[at]LSV.UKY.EDU greetings from D.C. just a quick heads up to a new web compilation in the tradition of the List of Lists, Direct Search, and Speech and Transcript Center. Current Awareness Resources using Internet Audio and Video http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~gprice/audio.htm links (1 to 2 clicks) to numerous U.S. and internatonal broadcasters that "webcast" news and other public affairs programming are included. additionally, many other events and groups that produce material on the www (Freedom Forum, Dept. of State, National Press Club, etc.) I think you will be amazed at what is easily accessible and how the www can be another useful resource for monitoring world and local events. of course additions are welcomed and encouraged. cheers, gary Gary D. Price, MLIS George Washington University Virginia Campus Library Gelman Library Ashburn, VA and Washington, D.C. gprice[at]gwu.edu 703-729-8235 703-729-8237 (fax) ___________________________________________________________________________ 6. Alternative Press Review web site (new and improved) Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 10:51:15 -0700 From: Chuck0 <chuck[at]tao.ca> Hey, it's still under construction, but enuf is there to announce the new Alternative Press Review web site: http://flag.blackened.net/apr/index.html In coming months we hope to put online articles and selections from back issues. Our next issue, the Fall/Winter one, will be out in early December. After this issue, production will be handled by the Arlington Alternative Library (A.A.L.) based in Arlington, VA. -- Chuck0 Circulation Coordinator, Alternative Press Review ___________________________________________________________________________ 7. "The Library Dragon" by Carmen Agra Deedy "The Library Dragon" by Carmen Agra Deedy, with quirky illustrations by Michael P. White, is very charming, a real find. The school librarian, Lotta Scales, is a real live dragon who softens up (or cools off) after a while. It's obviously written by someone who knows and loves librarians, with little references like "...her library lair in perfect order - no 398.2s in the 500s". ISBN 1-56145-01-X Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Merry Luskin, Oakland CA Reference librarian and handspinner mailto:mluskin[at]pacbell.net ___________________________________________________________________________ 8. JAMA Women's Health Information Center http://www.ama-assn.org/special/womh/womh.htm The Women's Health Information Center, offered by editors of _JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association_ (AMA), provides the latest research and clinical information on women's health issues for physicians and other health professionals. A Newsline section features current stories from Reuters Health Information and special reports from Morbidity, Mortality and Weekly Reports (MMWR) which may be read in HTML or downloaded as .pdf files. The Library section features full text of selected articles on women's health issues and abstracts of articles recently published in medical journals. For the latest information on sexually transmitted diseases or contraceptive issues, visit the STD Information Center or the Contraception Information Center, each of which features the latest news, patient education materials, clinical guidelines for treatment, recommended Internet resources, and abstracts and full-text reports on the latest research. [GW] ___________________________________________________________________________ 9. "Address Directory of the World's Politicians" (website) October 17, 1998 To dehmlow[at]bigfoot.com Dear Raimund Dehmlow, After reading about the purpose of your organization, Progressive Librarians Around the World, I thought you or a friend there in Hannover Germany might find this site useful. "Address Directory of the Worlds' Politicians" at: http://www.trytel.com/~aberdeen/ Contact info for presidents, prime ministers, & provincial governors for all 194 countries. Phone, fax, and e-mail for these office holders being included where possible. You'll find this webpage to be an excellent resource for any international letter writing, lobbying/advocacy campaign. Best regards, Donald Vermithrax Ottawa, Canada Address Directory - Politicians of the World http://www.trytel.com/~aberdeen .......................................................................... Editor's note: see Raimund's "Progressive Librarians Around the World" at: http://www.germany.net/teilnehmer/100/115158/adresse.html ___________________________________________________________________________ 10. AgDB, the National Agriculture Library directory of databases Volume 2, Number 24, October 13, 1995 http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/archive/scout-951013.html AgDB http://www.agnic.nal.usda.gov/agdb/ The National Agricultural Library's Directory of Agriculture-Related Databases, Datasets, and Information Systems, otherwise known as AgDB, was a prototype project when we first reviewed it. In the intervening years, it has graduated from the prototype stage and now offers links to more than 1,000 information resources. Users can browse all of the AgDB metadata records through an alphabetical list arranged by resource name and search their full text with a keyword index and by AGRICOLA (described in the Scout Report for July 24, 1998--http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/archive/scout-980724.html#2 ) Subject Category Code. New metadata record additions can be traced via the What's New page. [MD] >From the Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-1998. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/ ___________________________________________________________________________ 11. John Berry editorial on the BSA situation, letter from Al Kagan Sent by Al Kagan to srrtac-l, the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table's email discussion list. You can read the John Berry editorial he speaks of at http://www.bookwire.com/ljdigital/editorial.article$25870 .......................................................................... I have just e-mailed this letter to the editor of LJ. Folks should have a look at John Berry's terrific editorial. ("LJ" stands for Library Journal! -ed.) BSA Editorial Congratulations to John Berry for again taking on discrimination in his October 15th editorial on "Boy Scout Values." As a child, I remember my initial enthusiasm in becoming a Cub Scout, but I quickly lost interest. I have vague memories of being the outsider, the only Jewish child in the group. The Scouts are seen to be as American as apple pie, so it is a rude shock to learn that our unexamined beliefs may be faulty. I wonder if the Boy Scout defenders will also reject Amnesty International's new report on human rights abuses in the American justice system? I am proud of my profession's values, but I am often frustrated and even angry about ALA's hypocrisy in disregarding our principles. The ALA Executive Board's letter to SRRT can be seen as harassment. I have known the elected SRRT officers for quite a number of years, and they have all been people of great integrity. They have never claimed to speak for all of ALA. This is a wake-up call for the ALA leadership to get back to our long-standing values and ideals. The ALA Executive Board owes SRRT an apology, but I won't hold my breath. Al Kagan Chair, SRRT International Responsibilities Task Force Al Kagan Africana Unit, Room 328 University of Illinois Library 1408 W. Gregory Drive Urbana, IL 61801, USA tel. 217-333-6519 fax. 217-333-2214 e-mail. akagan[at]uiuc.edu ___________________________________________________________________________ 12. BUTTONS!! Show your support for the Alternative Press!! (from Charles Willett) To everyone supporting the alternative press: A group of us in the Alternatives in Print Task Force of ALA's Social Responsibilities Round Table have put our heads together and come up with eight slogans for buttons. ALA President Ann Symons has chosen intellectual freedom as the focus for her term, and a presidential working group is seeking endorsements for a statement about it. These buttons can be an effective way to call librarians' attention to the importance of the alternative press -- so consistently ignored by government and corporate media and by schools, colleges, libraries, and bookstores in the US and abroad. ORDER INSTRUCTIONS: The buttons are 2 1/4" in diameter. The text is on paper covered by clear plastic and mounted on a metal button with a safety pin attached. The buttons are $1.00 each, plus $3.00 per order to cover shipping. When you order, please give your name, address, the number and slogan of each button you want, and the quantity of each. Make checks payable to Alternatives in Print Task Force. Here are the 16 selections. No. 1 has top-half red, bottom-half blue; letters are white; the word "IS" is large across the color line -- half in the red, half in the blue. No. 4 has Intellectual! and Freedom! in red, Alternative Press! in blue; the other words are in black, all on a white background. Intellectual! and Freedom! are in large Gothic script. Alternative Press is in italics. All the other buttons are just black on white. Some have special designs, as noted. 1. The Alternative Press 2. YES! IS ALTERNATIVE Intellectual Freedom PRESS! ALA/SRRT/AIP ALA/SRRT AIP (Colors and style described above) (YES! very large, heavy; Alternative Press in lightning bolts.) 3. Alternatives in Print 4. Be Task Force, ALA/SRRT Intellectual! Defend Freedom! INTELLECTUAL Read the FREEDOM Alternative Press! NOW! AIP TASK FORCE ALA/SRRT (slogan letters are (Intellectual! and Freedom! large, shaped like are in large Gothic script. strange animals) Colors described above.) 5. GOAL 2000: 6. NO LOCAL Selection! MANAGED LOCAL Cataloging! INTELLECTUAL For LOCAL Access! CARE! ALA/SRRT/ ALA/SRRT AIP AIP (modern, informal type) (Initial letters large; bold, conservative type.) 7. Intellectual 8. DON'T Freedom SUPPRESS without THE Alternative Ideas ALTERNATIVE Is a Sham PRESS ALA/SRRT/AIP ALA/SRRT/AIP (modern, sans serif) (like a hand-made poster) 9. Same text as 1. 10. Same text as 2. (Man striding with a (Large picture of man large banner bearing in a peaked cap running the word "IS") fast and carrying a flag: "Alternative Press!") 11. Same text as 3. 12. Old-fashioned picture Old-fashioned picture of a man (full length) of a woman (head and pulling a cart with shoulders) holding and a big square load. looking at a sign: Above: Read the "Intellectual On the load: Freedom NOW!" Alternative Press! Below: AIP Task Force ALA/SRRT 13. Same text as 5. 14. Same text as 6. Old-fashioned picture Giant book, fallen, of a woman, almost full partly open, spine up length, graceful, her like a tent. Person's back to us, looking at head looks out from a big easel bearing inside the book, worried. the text. Text on side of book. 15. Same text as 7. 16. Same text as 8. Full-length picture of Two bare arms and hands bearded, bespectacled with fingers pointing man (professor type -- hold a tall rectangular looks radical, serious) sign that entirely holding a big sign in conceals her? his? face front with text. and body. Charles Willett Co-coordinator, Alternatives in Print Task Force (AIP), ALA/SRRT editor, Counterpoise 1716 SW Williston Road Gainesville, FL 32608-4049 USA tel. 352 / 335-2200 e-mail: willett[at]afn.org ___________________________________________________________________________ 13. A useful list of currently available Chicano/Latino videos. Susana Hinojosa Voices from the Fields, Images of Mexican Los Angles, The Art of Resistance and the Party Line are new releases in the Cinema Guild's collection of Latino Studies videos. Chicano Park, The Lemon Grove Incident and Birthwrite: Growing up Hispanic are among the best selling videos. Latino Hollywood Director-Antonio Rios-Bustamante 1995-96, color 49 mins. VHS video Purchase $250 Rental $70 The Art of Resistance Director-Susana Ortiz 1994, color, 26 mins. VHs video Purchase $250, Rental $55 The Party Line Director-Mario Barrera 1996 color, 26 mins. VHS video PUrchase $59.95 Birthwrite: Growing Up HIspanic Director-Luis R. Torres Producer-Jesus Trevino 1989, color 57 mins. video Purchase $295, Rental $90 Revelaciones/Revelations: Hispanic Art of Evanescence Director- Edin Velez 1995, color, 28 mins., video Purchase $250, Rental $50 Images of Mexican Los Angeles Director-Antonio Rios-Bustamante 1992, color, 28 mins., VHS video English and Spanish versions available Purchase $59.95 Ballad of an Unsung Hero Director-Isaac Artenstein 1983, color, 28 mins. VHS video PUrchase $250, Rental $55 Dolores Director-Pablo Figueroa 1988, color, 50 mins., video Purchase $250, Rental $80 The Cinema Guild, Inc. 1697 Broadway, Suite 506 New York, New York, 10019-5904 Phone 212-246-5522 FAX 212-246-5525 1-800-723-5522 email TheCinemaG[at]aol.com website Http://www.cinemaguild.com ___________________________________________________________________________ 14. Link to NY Times article on internet filtering in Austin, TX Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 08:40:26 -0400 To: librarians[at]tao.ca From: Jen Weintraub <jsw15[at]cornell.edu> Subject: filtering, again Sender: owner-librarians[at]tao.ca Precedence: bulk If you sign up for the NY Times you can see this article (also in the print edition, of course) http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/circuits/articles/15filt.html Its about filtering in Austin Texas. ___________________________________________________________________________ 15. Link to article on internet limits at Denver Public Library Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 13:23:09 -0500 (CDT) From: Chris Dodge <cdodge[at]sun.hennepin.lib.mn.us> To: Kim Edson <kedson[at]sun.hennepin.lib.mn.us&> SRRT Action Council list <srrtac-l[at]ala.org&> "[at]Librarians" <librarians[at]tao.ca> Subject: Denver Pub. Lib. & limit on internet use (fwd) MIME-Version: 1.0 Sender: owner-librarians[at]tao.ca Precedence: bulk fyi, courtesy of Larry-bob -cd- http://www.westword.com/1998/100898/news1.html ___________________________________________________________________________ 16. ALA Action Alert - Istook (filtering) Amendment is still not dead >>> ALA Public Information Office, Linda Wallace (Linda Wallace) 10/13/98 06:55pm >>> Library Advocacy Alert From: ALA Washington Office Date: October 13, 1998 Re: ISTOOK AMENDMENT ALIVE AGAIN; CONTACT CONGRESS NOW! Please share this alert with others who support libraries and public access to information URGENT ACTION NEEDED: The Istook Amendment, once dropped, is on again in final ombnibus congressional negotiations. Call your Senators and Representatives NOW at the Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121. Timing is urgent. Negotiators are already behind schedule and could finish within the next 24 to 48 hours. Thank you for your help. MESSAGE: Request Representative and Senators to contact the omnibus bill negotiators to urge that the Istook amendment imposing filtering requirements on libraries and schools be dropped. Use the reasons that mean most in your library situation or that you feel would be persuasive BACKGROUND: The Istook amendment would require public schools and libraries computers to install software to protect children from obscenity as a condition of receiving federal funds, including e-rate discounts, from any federal agency for the acquisition or operation. An earlier decision by House-Senate Labor-HHS-Education appropriators would have dropped the amendment, but it is clearly "live" again as of today (October 13) and may be added to the final omnibus funding bill now being negotiated by House and Senate leaders. If approved, this amendment would impose a heavy administrative and cost burden on libraries and schools. A library receiving federal funds must: (1) install software "adequately designed to prevent minors from obtaining access to any obscene information using that computer," and (2) "ensure that the software is operational whenever that computer is used by minors, except that such software's operation may be temporarily interrupted to permit a minor to have access to information that is not obscene or otherwise unprotected by the Constitution under the direct supervision of an adult designated by such school or library." Determination as to whether such software is "adequately designed" for this purpose would be made by a state official designated by the chief executive officer of the state (adding potentially difficult roles for state library and education agencies). FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Lynne Bradley ALA Washington Office 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 Washington, DC 20004-1701 202.628.8410 (V) 202.628.8419 (F) 800.941.8478 (V) ___________________________________________________________________________ 17. ALA Awards - descriptions and instructions for applying Deadline for ALA awards is coming up Dec. 1 Applications and nominations are being accepted for the 1999 American Library Association (ALA) recognition awards. The deadline for nominations is December 1, 1998. The awards are: ALA/Information Today, Inc., Library of the Future Award, a citation and $1,500 donated by Information Today, Inc., honors a library, library consortium, group of librarians or support organization for innovative planning or for the development of patron training programs for information technology in a library. Beta Phi Mu, a citation and $500 donated by the Beta Phi Mu International Library Science Honorary Society, is presented to a library school faculty member or an individual for distinguished service in library education. bill boyd Literary Novel Award, a citation and $10,000 donated by William Young Boyd, is given to an author for a military novel that honors the service of American veterans during a time of war: 1861-1865, 1914-1918, 1939-1945. Melvil Dewey Medal, a medal and citation donated by OCLC/Forest Press, Inc., is given to an individual or group for recent creative professional achievement in library management, training, cataloging and classification, and the tools and techniques of librarianship. ALA Equality Award, a citation and $500 donated by University Press of America, is given to an individual or group for an outstanding contribution that promotes equality in the library profession. Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award, a citation and $1,000, recognizes and honors a librarian who invests time and talent to make positive changes in librarianship. Gale Research Company Financial Development Award, a citation and $2,500 donated by the Gale Research Company, is given to a library organization that exhibited meritorious achievement in carrying out a library financial development project to secure new funding resources for a public or academic library. Grolier Foundation Award, a citation and $1,000 donated by Grolier, is given to a librarian whose "unusual contribution" to the stimulation and guidance of reading by children and young people exemplifies outstanding achievement in the profession. Highsmith Library Literature Award, a citation and $500 donated by Highsmith, Inc., is given to one author and/or co-author who has made an outstanding contribution to library literature published during the three years preceding the presentation. Joseph W. Lippincott Award, a citation and $1,000 donated by Joseph W. Lippincott, Jr., is given to a librarian for distinguished service to the profession. Herbert and Virginia White Award for Promoting Librarianship, a citation and $1,000 donated by Herbert and Virginia White, is given to an individual for contributing significantly to the public recognition and appreciation of librarianship through professional performance, teaching and/or writing. H.W. Wilson Library Staff Development Grant, a citation and $3,500 donated by The H.W. Wilson Company, is given to a library organization for a program to further its staff development goals and objectives. The World Book - ALA Goal Grant is a single grant of up to $10,000 given to ALA units for the advancement of public, academic or school library service and librarianship through support of programs that implement the goals and priorities of ALA. The deadline to apply is March 1, 1999. Criteria, nomination forms and submission instructions for awards are available on the ALA Web site at http://www.ala.org/work/awards/recogaw.html or by contacting the ALA Awards Office, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Telephone: 800-545-2433, ext. 3247, or 312-280-3247. Fax: 312-944-6131. E-mail: awards[at]ala.org. ___________________________________________________________________________ 18. Diversity-based MLIS Fellowships at University of Oklahoma UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY MASTER OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES The School of Library and Information Studies of the University of Oklahoma announces the availability of six National Leadership Grant fellowships for spring 1999. These fellowships will be awarded as part of the Library and Information Science Education Project to Enhance Cultural Diversity, which has as an overall goal increasing participation in the field of librarianship and information science by underrepresented groups, especially persons of color. The fellowships will enable qualified individuals to complete an ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) degree with emphasis on information literacy and new techniques of information acquisition, transfer, and communication technology. The National Leadership Grant fellowships are supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a Federal agency that fosters innovation, leadership and a lifetime of learning. Currently enrolled and prospective MLIS students are invited to apply for the fellowships. The fellowships cover tuition, fees, books, and a stipend. The exact amount of each fellowship will depend upon demonstrated need. Fellows will pursue a 36-credit MLIS program, which will include course work in library and information studies; a specialized mentoring program; and an opportunity for an internship in an exemplary setting appropriate to the fellow's career goals. Fellows will also receive partial assistance to attend one national level and one state level conference or workshop appropriate to the area of specialization. Applicants for these fellowships must meet the admissions requirements for the Master of Library and Information Studies degree. Those applying should submit the following by December 1, 1998: -- the standard MLIS application forms and supporting materials -- a three-page application essay reflecting interest in and qualifications for a fellowship -- a completed U.S. Department of Education Application for Federal Student Aid form. An interview will be required. Criteria for selection will include -- potential for academic success as demonstrated by educational background, paraprofessional employment, and materials submitted for admission to the program -- leadership potential as evidenced in the essay, supporting letters, and previous activities -- commitment to providing information services to all members of our diverse society. Absolute priority will be given to qualified applicants from underrepresented groups, especially persons of color. Applicants will be notified of selection results by December 15, 1998. For further information about the fellowships, please contact Dr. Michael Havener (mhavener[at]ou.edu; 405-325-3921) Dr. Kathleen Haynes (khaynes[at]ou.edu; 405-325-3921) Dr. Kathy Latrobe (klatrobe[at]ou.edu; 405-325-3921) Dr. June Lester (jlester[at]ou.edu; 405-325-3921). Applications forms and information about the School may be found at the School's web site at http://www.ou.edu/cas/slis/ or may be requested by calling 1-800-522-0772, ext. 3921 or 405-325-3921 or by e-mail to slisinfo[at]slis.lib.ou.edu. The postal mailing address is School of Library and Information Studies University of Oklahoma 401 W. Brooks, Room 120 Norman, Oklahoma 73019 ___________________________________________________________________________ 19. Upcoming nationwide paper bag over the head demonstration Librarians, Whatever you may think of the book superstores, you ought to be aware of an upcoming event this Nov. 23. I doubt it will leak into public libraries, unless your patrons aren't happy the way they are treated. Steve Cisler 4415 Tilbury Drive, San Jose, CA 95130 cisler[at]pobox.com http://home.inreach.com/cisler (408) 379 9076 > The following is from > "An Open Letter from the President of the Friends United in > Creative Knowledge of the Faceless Attitudes of Corporate > Entities." > > > ********************************************* > > "As we all know, in February of this year, a man walked into a Barnes > and Noble Superstore in Austin, Texas, wearing a paper bag with holes cut > for his eyes. He approached the front counter and politely asked the > clerk for assistance in finding a particular book. The clerk immediately > called for a manager to the front. An assistant manager appeared and asked > the man why he was wearing a paper bag on his head. In the now infamous > reply, the man said: 'I am tired of the corporate attitude which a > views me merely as a faceless consumer. And I am wearing this paper bag as > symbol of my protest against this sort of mind-set.' The assistant > manager then told him to either remove the bag or leave the store. Not > willing to give in any further to the disease, the man elected to leave the > store. > > This event was subsequently reported over the FringeWare News Network > and Midnight SPecial Bookstore's Disgusted with Superstores Opinion List. > And here in Dunwitch, a group of us decided that we had also had enough of > similar corporate attitudes. It was high time to take action. > Following the non-violent example of the man in Austin, we began to wear > paper bags into various Superstores around the area. We met with > remarkably consistent results: all of us were asked to either remove > our bags or leave the store. This was to be expected. But it only further > stimulated our outrage. > > Thus we have decided to hold a nationwide mass protest action at 12:00 > noon on the 23d of November of this year. What we have planned is for > thousands of paper bag wearing individuals to peacefully enter into > either Barnes and Noble or Borders Bookstores and browse for approximately > 15 minutes. Already, the response to this has been overwhelming. > Groups of individuals are being organized all over the world to join us in > the November 23d protest. > > If you are likewise fed up with being treated as a faceless consumer > by various corporations, please join us with your paper bag on the 23rd > of November. ... ANd if you are interested in further action, contact us > at: > Friends United in Creative Knowledge of the Faceless Attitudes of > Corporate Entities > c/o Fringe Ware Bookstore > 2716 Guadalupe > Austin, TX 78705 ....................................................................... n e t S I G N communications weston triemstra 110 west hastings weston[at]netsign.com vancouver, bc v6b 1g8 "the future was now" canada ....................................................................... ___________________________________________________________________________ 20. FAIR Action Alert: CIA Admissions, Media Omissions ------------------------------------------ FAIR-L Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting Media analysis, critiques and news reports ------------------------------------------ FAIR Action Alert: CIA Admissions, Media Omissions October 16, 1998 The recently de-classified second volume of the CIA's internal investigation of Contra-drug connections was released last week (still censored in parts), and found the CIA had knowledge of allegations linking many Contras or Contra associates with drug trafficking. But how did the major media cover the story? --It's a good question to put to the New York Times, which ran a sketchy story in their Saturday, October 10 edition (the least-read paper of the week, on a holiday weekend no less) on page A7. --It's also worth asking the Washington Post, which published not one word of the CIA's findings over the weekend. They did, however, have the room on Oct. 13 for a profile of John Hollister Hedley, who works in the Agency's Directorate of Intelligence reviewing manuscripts to decide "how far the CIA will go in revealing its inner workings to the outside world." --Or maybe the LA Times, which penned this in an editorial ("FBI and CIA: Open Up") on July 21, 1998: "Americans have not just the right to learn what their government has done in this tumultuous century; they also have an imperative to know. It's clear that Clinton's 1995 declassification order is in need of strengthening." Maybe it was other government deeds the LA Times was referring to; they have yet to file a story on the CIA's newly de-classified report. The CIA's report found that the Contra leadership was arranging its drug connections from the very start, and that a CIA informant alerted the agency of the activity. The CIA, by its own admission, failed to inform the proper agencies of this knowledge. These revelations practically define the term "political scandal." The national press's own record on this story has been to cover up for the CIA (read "Snow Job" from EXTRA! magazine at http://www.fair.org/extra/9701/contra-crack.html), as it did by attacking former San Jose Mercury News journalist Gary Webb. When Mercury News editor Jerry Ceppos disavowed Webb's series, it earned him a praising editorial in the New York Times. Where is the New York Times editorial now that a CIA report has acknowledged CIA wrongdoing that the Times has done so much to obfuscate? To ask why national news media ignored or downplayed this latest round of CIA admissions, contact the news outlets directly (their e-mail addresses are listed below). Ask them to use this new information to begin investigations into Contra drug-running-- a story they have, for the most part, distanced themselves from for over a decade. --Washington Post Geneva Overholser-- News Ombudsman mailto:overholser[at]washpost.com Walter Pincus-- National staff writer mailto:pincusw[at]washpost.com --New York Times William Connolly-- Senior Editor mailto:wgc[at]nytimes.com --Los Angeles Times Doyle McManus-- D.C. Bureau Chief mailto:Doyle.McManus[at]latimes.com Robert Berger-- Op-Ed Page Editor mailto:op-ed[at]latimes.com ------------------------------- The CIA reports are partial, hedged, tip-of-the-iceberg, at best. To read them for yourself: --Allegations of Connections Between CIA and The Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States (96-0143-IG) Volume I: The California Story http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/cocaine/report/index.html --Allegations Of Connections Between CIA and the Contra In Cocaine Trafficking to the United States (96-0143-IG) Volume II: The Contra Story http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/cocaine2/index.html --The CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy: A Review of the Justice Department's Investigations and Prosecutions (December, 1997) http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/igspecr1.htm To read FAIR's coverage of the Contra-drug connection over the years, go to http://www.fair.org/issues-news/contra-crack.html. And stay tuned to the FAIR website for updates on this story. ---------- Feel free to respond to FAIR(fair[at]fair.org). We can't reply to everything, but we will look at each message. We especially appreciate documented example of media bias or censorship. All messages to the 'FAIR-L' list will be forwarded to the editor of the list. Also, feel free to spread this message around. Put it on conferences where it is appropriate. We depend on word of mouth to get our message out, so please let others know about FAIR and this mailing list. Don't miss a single e-mail from FAIR-L. To subscribe to FAIR-L send a "subscribe FAIR-L enter your full name" command to LISTSERV[at]AMERICAN.EDU. The subscriber list is kept confidential, so no need to worry about spammers. You may leave the list at any time by sending a "SIGNOFF FAIR-L" command to LISTSERV[at]AMERICAN.EDU. Please support FAIR by becoming a member. You will receive FAIR's magazine, EXTRA! and its newsletter, EXTRA! Update. You can become a member by calling 1-800-847-3993 from 9 to 5 Eastern Time (be sure to tell them you got the information on-line) or by sending $19 with your name and address to: FAIR/EXTRA! Subscription Service P.O. 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Date: Thursday, October 29, 1998 11:57 AM