Here's some obligatory library news clips I found whilst catching up on my reading...

Caldecott winner Robert McCloskey, author/illustrator of Make Way for Ducklings, amongst others, is dead at age 88. [The NY Times requires a free registration to view]

More on the controversy regarding Cuban libraries and how a library should be defined...I still think there are extreme view on both sides (certainly that's been reflected in the warring e-mails I've seen) and the truth probably lies somewhere in between. [The NY Times requires a free registration to view]

Singapore Sends Noise Police to Libraries--apparently they choose a public education campaign each year and this is the newest one. On the one hand, I'm sure they're pretty polite as a society. On the other hand, surely there are more important things to worry about these days? Hmmm...still, I think most people have no idea how much louder they get when they talk on a cell phone, for instance. I went by a woman at the grocery the other day who was shouting so hard than my ears rang as she went back. I think since they're so small, people assume they'll be harder to hear, when really, we have pretty good microphones (yes, even micro ones) these days. :)

Ouch. Yet another library is cutting services due to the budget crunch...although that's at least better than some which are closing, such as the Medical Library Centre of New York after 40 years of service.

Here's interesting article on African manuscript collections and their possible aid in understanding disease.

'Dear Abby' points reader to the library for answers.

Laura Bush's promotion of early literacy hits a snag with booksellers...(and heaven help the poor viewer who didn't hear the author's name--try typing in Book! Book! Book! into Amazon's search and see if you come up with it. I tried several permutations, and I know how to search. The average user probably wouldn't fare as well. I can see mentioning the wish list for the literacy organisation, but returning the book you bought at a local store for credit after reading it on national television is rather tacky.