Handy Information

In American Libraries Direct (2/17/10) I read an article originating in WebWorkerDaily, Feb. 16 about finding mailboxes for outgoing mail.


"I do a lot of my correspondence electronically, but sometimes I still need to mail a letter. I know where the blue US Postal Service mailboxes are in my neighborhood, but it’s getting harder to find pickup locations when I’m on the road, since USPS has removed over half of its boxes in the past 20 years.

So I’m pleased that I’ve discovered MailboxMap. It’s a simple web site built around a Google Maps mashup. Just enter an address or zip code, and it will display a map showing the locations of mailboxes in the neighborhood. Click on a mailbox icon, and it will display pickup times.
MailboxMap also shows post offices and UPS locations, complete with hours. And there’s a mobile version, which has the advantage of displaying search results in a list, making it easier to skim for late pickups. It would be nice, though, if one could search for, say, pickups after 3:00 pm, or for Saturday pickups.

It’s not a perfect service; for example, it locates Seattle’s downtown post office on the wrong side of the street. Google Maps itself locates the same address correctly, so it’s unclear what the problem is. Nevertheless, MailboxMap is a useful service.

The site has been around for a couple of years, but it seems to be up to date, as it shows a recent pickup time change for my local box. It’s probably too much to hope that USPS will buy this site and add it to usps.com."

New Item

• The Early Literacy Kit: A Handbook and Tip Cards by Betsy Diamant-Cohen and Saroj Nadkarni Ghoting

FYI: "This innovative and practical kit, put together by two well-know specialists in the field of early literacy, contains everything storytime presenters for children from birth to age five need to spread the word about school readiness skills to adult caregivers." -from the back cover

New Book

• Moving Your Library: Getting the Collection from Here to There by Steven Care Fortriede

FYI: "Everything you need for the move is included - even specifications for boxes, moving carts, sorting trays, and a worksheet to calculate shelving layouts and growth rates. Moving Your Library is the complete kit for any librarian facing the daunting prospect of moving a library collection." - from the back cover

New Book

• Fundamentals of Library Supervision (2nd ed.) by Joan Giesecke and Beth McNeil

FYI: "Guiding supervisors through the intricate process of managing others, this comprehensive handbook addresses the fundamental issues facing new managers. It also serves as a welcome refresher and reference for experienced managers confronting new challenges in this complex and changing environment." - from the back cover

New Book

• User-Centered Library Websites: Usability Evaluation Methods by Carole A. George

Best Reference Selections - 2010

RUSA’s Best in Reference Selections for 2010 Presented at Midwinter Meeting

BOSTON—The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) has announced its list of Outstanding Reference Sources for 2010.

The list is compiled by a committee of RUSA members who are readers’ advisory and reference experts. They review publications and online reference resources released in the previous calendar year and present their selections at the RUSA Book and Media Awards Reception at the ALA Midwinter Meeting.

The 2010 selections for the Outstanding Reference Sources List are:

• Archaeology in America: An Encyclopedia (Greenwood Press), Francis P. McManamon
• Encyclopedia of African American History: 1896 to the Present (Oxford University Press), Paul Finkelman
• Encyclopedia of Modern China (Charles Scribner's Sons), David Pong
• The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars (ABC-CLIO), Spencer Tucker
• Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy (Gale Cengage), J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman
• Encyclopedia of Human Rights (Oxford), David Forsythe
• Social Explorer, an online reference resource located at http://www.socialexplorer.com/
• Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts (McFarland & Company Publishers), Thomas S. Hischak
• American Countercultures (Sharp), Gina Misiroglu
• Encyclopedia of Gender and Society (Sage), Jodi O’Brien
• Encyclopedia of Marine Science (Facts on File), Nichols C. Reid and Robert G. Williams

The winner was selected by the Outstanding Reference Sources Award Committee, whose members include Estella M. Terrazas (chair), Cynthia Crosser, Anne-Marie Davis, Denise Goetting, Patricia L. Gregory, Danise Hoover, Deborah Fay Katz, Peggy A. Keeran and Patrick J. Wall.

The Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more at www.ala.org/rusa.

Tell Us Something We Don't Know!

Now published:
A Perfect Storm Brewing: Budget Cuts Threaten Library Services at Time of Increased Demand

About the Study

Today’s public libraries are vital community technology hubs that millions of Americans rely on for their first and often only choice for Internet access. Despite increased demand for library computers, however, libraries typically have not seen a corresponding increase in budgets and many are challenged to provide enough computers or fast-enough connection speeds to meet demand.

The Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study is a multi-year project that builds on the longest-running and largest study of Internet connectivity in public libraries. The study assesses public access to computers, the Internet and Internet-related services in U.S. public libraries, as well as the impact of library funding changes on connectivity, technology deployment and sustainability in FY2007-2009.

Built on the longest-running and largest study of Internet connectivity in public libraries, begun in 1994 by John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure, this study provides information that can help library directors and library IT staff benchmark and advocate for technology resources in communities across the nation. The data are also of importance for policymakers at local, state, and federal levels, manufacturers of information and communication technologies, and the communities served.

The project is made possible by a generous donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the American Library Association.
For more information on the Public Library Funding and Technology Access study, please contact the Office for Research & Statistics.