As suggested by t-traveler, here are two links of interest to all you library lovers:
You can suggest a library purchase on their website. (The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes, anyone?)
You can also email the library board president with comments. (As I’ve said before, if you’re not reading the head librarian’s reports, you’re really missing out on a lot of great library information.)
If you know anyone who needs free tax preparation advice, they can get help at the library or other area organizations. Here is more information.
I’ve been tempted to liveblog the library board meetings, the next of which will be tomorrow (Tuesday, February 9), but that will probably have to wait until I’ve got a little more time on my hands. (Also, I’ve been thinking about hosting a book group at the library this summer that focuses on Worcester authors or books about Worcester; if anyone would be interested in participating in a book group like that, let me know and I’ll discuss it with the library staff.)
Here are some literary links I keep meaning to mention:
The best poem I’ve read in the past few months, by Maurice Rutherford, especially relevant to the current economic situation.
Hard-to-pronounce literary names; here are authors saying their own names; also, I’d been second-guessing how I say ’Coleridge’, and I’m glad to see that at least one other person justifies my pronunciation.
Reconsidering Dickens and Sherlock Holmes.
You’ll have to pry these from my cold, dead hands.
An absolutely amazing article on Gustav Tenggren and Golden Books.
A nice piece on book dedications, and a sign that pretty much sums up most of my book dreams.
Blogs I’m obsessed with: Book Cover Archive, Picture Book Report, Curious Pages.
did you see this article about WPI contributing to the library. The door is open for WPI to name a member of the library board.
http://worcestermagazine.com/content/view/4225/
The city agrees to consider appointing a WPI representative to the library board. MCPHS has a similar clause.
Thanks. I guess the question would be whether that would mean the 12 seats would now have two seats for the colleges, or whether it would be expanded to 14. Also, whether those seats would be contingent on continued monetary support.
I will ask about this.
the green trust governs the size of the board. It also specifies the method that members are chosen. the court upheld the validity of the trust in the 70s when the city manager tried to change things. The trust also speciifes the salary of the head librarian. It does not take into account inflation though, so the city pays the salary out of tax levy funds
So — essentially — the city agreed to something it can’t deliver on, if the colleges decided they wanted a board member before the terms are up in November.
And we’d be giving colleges 1/6 of the votes on a board that I really want to be part of.
And I probably need to start reading the Green Trust documents.
Have there been any rumblings from the colleges on this?
report from Dr. Finkel , president n December
http://www.worcpublib.org/150/Report/8%20December%202009.pdf
Finkel said that the City Solicitor had informed her that the number
of Library Board of Directors seats could not be increased, in accord with
the Deed of Gift of Dr. John Green.
Thanks — that’s what I figured.
Also — I’d been in a book group with Judy Finkel and never made the connection about who exactly she was. I just tried to sit as close as possible to her and her husband because they were great fun and she is the kind of woman I’d like to be like when I finally grow up.
did you read about the problems in boston and the libary board there
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2010/02/19/in_crisis_boston_libraries_need_better_board_more_private_funds/?comments=all#readerComm
I didn’t see that — thanks!
The Globe had an op-ed a week or two ago about the need for YA librarians and the possibilty of using volunteers that I’ve been thinking about.