Next time you impatiently yank an over-sized envelope emblazoned with the words: "You May Have Already Won 10 Million Dollars!!!" out of your junk-filled mailbox, take a moment to say: "Thanks." Without Publisher's Clearing House, the New York Botanical Garden might not havea library.The Botanical Garden's LuEsther T. Mertz Library is named for its largest benefactor, the genius behind the concept of the mass market mailing of multiple magazine subscription offers. Founded in 1953 by former librarian Mertz, her husband, and their daughter, Publisher's Clearing House became the largest and most profitable magazine circulation agency in the world. (And this...
Tower of Babel at the Reference Desk
(Okay, we shoot the next lunatic, and take it on the lam. You with me?)The Merry Librarian is one of our favorite spots for prospecting; there's gold in them thar hills. Yesterday, Merry - we presume familiarity and beg her forgiveness - related the terrifying tale of a reference librarian at a loss for words simply because she was absent from high school the day the class learned to read hieroglyphics in Mayan and Egyptian, missed the pop quiz in Farsi, and failed Hebrew. And yet they still let her graduate! Here's the saga as related by Merry's correspondent:Here’s a...
The Brady Brunch Go to Illinois
Illinois State University announced this week the creation of the Brady Bunch archive.The bones of the archive will be donated by Ted Nichelson author of the book "Love to Love You Bradys." Among the items Nichelson donated are scripts, sheet music, magazine and newspaper clippings. I trust there has to be a lunchbox in there as well.Nichelson hopes "other cast members and others affiliated with "The Brady Bunch" will add to the collection" over time.Nichelson also maintains the website "Complete Guide to the Brady Bunch Hour"Story at Pantagraph.com
The Library of Congress Makes Room for Kids
On October 23 the Library of Congress will unveil the The Young Readers Center. It will be the first area devoted exclusively to children in the library’s 200+ year history.The Center, which is housed in a renovated recording studio, will open with about 800 books. Most will be donated by publishers or culled from the library’s duplicate and exchange department.The focus is on providing personal and family “reading-aloud” experiences, supplemented by demonstrations of the library’s online educational projects aimed at younger audiences.Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-South Florida) provided the impetus for the Center. After visiting the library Wasserman was "surprised...
Banned Books Week Illustrated
Sometimes a picture can save more than a thousand words. As we mark Banned Books Week, an image serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting our freedom to read. In this case a photograph of the parking garage of the Kansas City Public Library in Missouri.The books featured on this facade were chosen by citizens, who voted for their favorite titles. Interesting, most of the winners have something else in common: they were challenged by would-be censors, who requested that the books be removed from school and/or public libraries. For example Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird remains...