Free Republic

When Michael Ward of Troop 406 in Phoenix, Ariz., learned that Hurricane Katrina had destroyed all 9,612 books in the Anniston Elementary School library in Gulfport, Miss., he resolved to dedicate his Eagle Scout project to collecting enough books to restock the library. After getting approval from his local school board, Michael sent fliers about the book drive to the 32 schools in his district. Students were eager to help, collecting books and donating school supplies, while the school district agreed to deliver the books to a central location. When Michael invited local businesses to participate, a bookstore chain set...

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2006 – In an effort to give Iraqi scientists access to academic knowledge they have long been without, the Iraqi Virtual Science Library was publicly launched here yesterday. "This knowledge is essential to the rebuilding of Iraq's scientific and university communities, which were devastated by three wars and the regime of Saddam Hussein," Paula J. Dobriansky, undersecretary of state for global affairs, said at the National Academy of Sciences. The online library will provide Iraqi scientists, engineers, physicians, researchers, and students the ability to access more than 17,000 academic journals and millions of scientific articles. The free...

Yesterday the Baldwinsville Public Library held it's annual budget vote. First off, why do these even take place at such odd times when no one remembers or cares to vote, except the friends of the library? My question is this. With a sign posted noting that a polling place was established and no electioneering or loitering within 100 yds was to be permitted, I noticed that a table with baked goods and manned by little old ladies aka "Friends of the Library" was set up within 10 yds of the polls. Isn't that a violation? By the way, my beef,...

Scott Savage, reference librarian for Ohio State University --- suggested four best-selling conservative books for freshman reading......and is being investigated by the university - for sexual harassment. Three professors filed the discrimination and sexual harassment charges, saying the books Savage suggested -"The Marketing of Evil" by David Kupelian, "The Professors" by David Horowitz, "Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis" by Bat Ye'or and "It Takes a Family" by Senator Rick Santorum - made them feel "unsafe." Savage contends he made the suggestions after other committee members recommended books with a left-wing slant. The school's faculty voted - without dissent - to allow...

After the entire faculty voted, with no dissenters, to brand their head librarian as a sexual harasser because he recommended the bestselling book "The Marketing of Evil" as required reading for freshmen, Ohio State University has finally dropped its controversial charges in the glare of national media attention. But, warns the librarian's attorney, who calls this one of the most "astonishing" and "shameful" instances of campus persecution he's ever seen, the damage to his client's reputation and career has been done. They've already filed a complaint against three professors for false accusations of harassment and are discussing a more "substantial"...

Ohio State University will press forward with frivolous investigation despite ADF letter COLUMBUS, Ohio — Officials at the Ohio State University are investigating an OSU Mansfield librarian for “sexual harassment” after he recommended four conservative books for a freshman reading program. ADF has demanded that OSU cease its frivolous investigation, yet the university is pressing forward, claiming that it takes the charges “seriously.” “Universities are one of the most hostile places for Christians and conservatives in America,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David French, who heads ADF’s Center for Academic Freedom. “It is shameful that OSU would investigate a Christian...

Today I called my local small town library which is staffed by wonderful people. My 11 year old son was with me and we were calling to renew his two library books. The librarian said that he actually had six books out and several were overdue. I asked her which ones were out and her statement was: I cannot tell you because of your son's right to privacy. I thought she was joking. Then I became angry. I later spoke to the Head of the Library Board who told me that he was equally shocked that there was such a...

WASHINGTON - A historian of the Cold War with expertise in presidential recordings has been selected as the first federal director of the Nixon presidential library. Timothy Naftali, 44, who directs the presidential recordings program at the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs, will begin his new job Oct. 16, the National Archives and Records Administration announced Monday. By then the library in Yorba Linda, Calif., should have completed its transition from private to public institution. The letter of offer formalizing the hand-over was transmitted to the House and Senate last Thursday, and must remain before Congress for...

Reversing a long-standing policy, the Ramsey County Library Board this week voted unanimously to install anti-porn software on its library computers. "The decision is a reluctant one," library director Susan Nemitz said Thursday. "There's a lot of concern about unfettered access to information, and that we don't want to be a group that is censoring what we are reading. But I think the Internet has posed difficulties for us that we never imagined 10 years ago." Current policy prohibits the library's computer users from accessing pornography or material that would create a threatening or hostile environment for others. But some...

(AgapePress) - A proposed bill in the Oklahoma Legislature would require public libraries that receive state funds to remove materials containing sexually explicit content or homosexual themes from general reading areas.The proposed law easily passed a State House panel last week and now heads to the full House for a vote. The bill would withhold state funds from public libraries that do not put objectionable material in a special place. Steve Crampton, chief counsel with the American Family Association's Center for Law & Policy, says the bill is reasonable."All it does is remove [the material] from, basically, an accidental...

(March 16, 2006)—Baylor University, Southern Methodist University and the University of Dallas were still in the running for the George W. Bush Presidential Library Thursday, but a site backed by a group led by Texas Tech University has been eliminated. Selection committee chairman Donald Evans says committee members appreciated the West Texas group's plan, but have decided to narrow their search to the other three proposals. The West Texas Coalition was a partnership between Texas Tech in Lubbock and Midland College. Last fall, the city of Arlington, Texas A&M and the University of Texas System were eliminated as potential sites....

(TIME SENSITIVE; FOR IMMEDIATE CIRCULATION) March 13, 2006 (Hyperlinks in Text) Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern has a bill, House Bill 2158, which will go to the floor for a vote very soon, perhaps within the week. According to the Library Stories blog, the Friday (March 10) editorial in the Daily Oklahoman is from none other than Oklahoma City’s mayor condemning the fine State Representative for her efforts to restrict funding from public libraries unless they re-shelve obscene materials and books regarding homosexuality to a section where only adults can sign for same. She is only doing her job. The...

Exclusive: Still under wraps, proposal likely to be batch of buildings for tourists, scholars In an aggressive bid to win the Bush presidential library, SMU envisions a complex of buildings that could include a high-tech museum and archives, a school of politics, a conference center and offices, all aimed at raising the school's national profile and making it a prime destination for scholars and tourists. A spokesman for the National Archives in Washington confirmed that Southern Methodist University retained Hillier Architecture of Princeton, N.J., to prepare a conceptual master plan for the coveted project, tentatively plotted in the southeastern quadrant...

SAVANNAH, Mo. -- A children's book about two male penguins who raise a baby penguin has been moved to the nonfiction section of two public library branches after parents complained it had homosexual undertones. The illustrated book, And Tango Makes Three, is based on a true story of two male penguins, named Roy and Silo, who adopted an abandoned egg at New York City's Central Park Zoo in the late 1990s. The book, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, was moved from the children's section at two Rolling Hills' Consolidated Library's branches in Savannah and St. Joseph in northwest Missouri....

March 18th – THE PEACE PUZZLE – Where do you fit in? Speakers, events, interfaith service, silent vigil, films, art, music, and entertainment on the 3rd Anniversary of the Iraq War, discussing “Why is Peace So Difficult.” From 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Main Library, Hemming Plaza & Boomtown Subterreana Dinner Experience on W Monroe St at N. Laura. Downtown Jacksonville. THE PEACE PUZZLE: WHERE DO YOU FIT IN? Sponsored by Wage Peace of Jacksonville – www.wagepeace.net Saturday, March 18th 2006 – 3rd Anniversary of the Iraq War Main Library Conference Center Guest Speakers and Panel Discussions Panel 1: 1:00...

St Columba landed there in 563 AD with 13 followers and established a monastery. This isolated island, off the south-western tip of Mull, was soon to become the intellectual powerhouse of the medieval world... Pre-Columba the island was sometimes referred to as Innis nam Druidneach, the Isle of Druids. Old stories record St Columba and his followers fighting off the local Druid elders when they landed to take possession of the island... some histories have King Fergus II joining forces with Alaric the Goth to fight the Roman Empire during its decline and fall. This version of history reports that...

HOUSTON -- A sheik from the United Arab Emirates contributed at least $1 million to the Bush Library Foundation, which established the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University in College Station. The UAE owns Dubai Ports World, which is taking operations from London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., which operates six U.S. ports. A political uproar has ensued over the deal, which the White House approved without congressional oversight. Dubai Ports World offered Thursday night to delay part of the takeover to give the Bush administration more time to convince lawmakers the deal poses no security risks....

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA M.I. library on fort garners nationwide recognitionBY BILL HESSHerald/Review FORT HUACHUCA — Normally one would not find popcorn, coffee and other snacks allowed in a library. But the relaxed atmosphere of the Military Intelligence Library on this Army post is the exception to the “no eating, be quiet” rules generally associated with a repository of books. The special collection geared to military intelligence, the Middle East and terrorism also is unique for another reason — it has been named the top small federal library and information center for 2005 by the Library of Congress. Mainly...

Two uniformed men strolled into the main room of the Little Falls library in Bethesda one day last week and demanded the attention of all patrons using the computers. Then they made their announcement: The viewing of Internet pornography was forbidden. The men looked stern and wore baseball caps emblazoned with the words "Homeland Security." The bizarre scene unfolded Feb. 9, leaving some residents confused and forcing county officials to explain how employees assigned to protect county buildings against terrorists came to see it as their job to police the viewing of pornography. After the two men made their announcement,...

On March 10, parts of the Patriot Act expire again. Section 215, most famous for the alleged threat it poses to library patrons ... doesn't single out libraries but relates to official requests for "... books, records, ... etc.". The provision is not known to have been invoked yet .... To hear the ALA talk, librarians are the last bulwark defending our most cherished civil liberties against government assault. Yet two recent examples show again that self-anointed guardians of the public good can be very selective about the people, and rights, they choose to protect. One example came from Newton,...