Criminal Law Library BlogJanuary 2009
Happy New Year!
The January 2009 issue of WSLL @ Your Service has been published at http://wsll.state.wi.us/newsletter/0901.html In this issue:
Articles Posted in News from Organizations
American Libraries Direct. January 7, 2009.
The e-newsletter of the American Library Association – January 7, 2009
Selected highlights*
Judge overrules Philadelphia branch closings A Philadelphia judge has ordered Mayor Michael Nutter to halt his planned closing of 11 branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Court of Common Pleas Judge Idee C. Fox (right) issued the ruling December 30 in response to an emergency motion filed by three city council members who argued that the closures would violate a 1988 city ordinance requiring the mayor to obtain council approval before shutting any city-owned facility….
American Libraries Online, Jan. 5
Protect patrons’ privacy ALA Editions has released a new title, Privacy and Confidentiality Issues: A Guide for Libraries and their Lawyers, by Theresa Chmara. In this clear and concise guide, set up in an FAQ format, First Amendment attorney and litigation expert Chmara shares her decades of experience in easy-to-understand, jargon-free language. Interspersed within the questions and answers, actual court case studies lend a sense of urgency to the explanations….
Date change for Los Angeles Lawyers for Libraries ALA will present a Lawyers for Libraries training institute February 27 in Los Angeles. The previously announced date was February 20. The Lawyers for Libraries Institute is primarily intended to equip attorneys with tools they need to effectively defend the First Amendment in libraries….
Internet use grows at meetings Until recently, travelers attending conferences had simple internet needs. They would check email messages and look up information on the Web or connect to the home office. Now, meetings are likely to include streaming video and online interaction. Back in their rooms, travelers are downloading movies and logging onto peer-to-peer networks. Event organizers and hotels and conference centers are struggling to keep up and prevent internet gridlock….
New York Times, Dec. 29 Continue reading
Library School News: Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University Granted Reaccreditation
On June 29, 2008, the American Library Association Committee on Accreditation voted to release the program from its conditional status and grant reaccreditation for the full seven years to the program leading to a Master’s of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree at Dominican University. The accreditation status of the program explicitly includes all sites offering courses that are part of the program listed above.
A Celebration of Reaccreditation was held in Parmer Hall Atrium on September 12, 2008 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with faculty, staff, students, advisory board and Alumni Council Members, and friends of the program, along with President Donna Carroll made remarks and helped celebrate.
Also:
Minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve Open Market Committee Dec. 15-16, 2008
A meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee was held in the offices of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., on Monday, December 15, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. and continued on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.
To see the Minutes, click on the link below:
Bernard Lawrence Madoff
Bernard Lawrence Madoff was arrested on December 11, 2008 on a ciminal complaint and has been charged with” perpetrating the largest investor fraud ever committed by an individual.” Below are some excerpts and links to articles and documenrs related to this matter. As this matter unfolds we expect to both add and perhaps revise information as appropriate:
The first excerpt is from the WIKI posting Bernard Lawrence Madoff. Although some may question linking to WIKI postings for this type of material, we have looked at this entry and believe it is useful as an introduction to both Bernard Madoff and his alleged activities”:
“Bernard Lawrence Madoff (IPA: /ˈmeɪdɑf/) (born April 29, 1938) is a businessman and former chairman of the NASDAQ stock market. He started the Wall Street firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in 1960 and was its chairman until December 11, 2008, when he was charged with perpetrating the largest investor fraud ever committed by a single individual.[1]” This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.”
Special Report: Toward a 21st Century Right-to-Know Agenda: Recommendations to President-elect Obama and Congress
At the beginning of 2007, the steering committee of OpenTheGovernment.org put a spotlignt on the importance of developing recommendations for the next administration and Congress to strengthen government transparency. OMB Watch agreed to spearhead such a project and to work with the OpenTheGovernment.org coalition and others including the AALL Government Relations Office staff in fashioning recommendations for providing a new roadmap for openness in the federal government that will in turn provide greater government transparancy, accountability and usability of government information.
The resulting report “Moving Toward a 21st Century Right-to-Know Agenda: Recommendations to President-elect Obama and Congress,” was delivered to President-Elect Obama’s transition team the day after the election. It includes more than 70 prioritized recommendations on issues relating to national security and secrecy, usability of government information, and how to create an environment for greater transparency. Those who are concerned and would like to make their own positions known can go to a special website established by OMB Watch and endorse the findings of the Report.
Gates Foundation Awards Library Internet Grants
“The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded nearly US$7 million to fund a pilot program aimed at helping public libraries in seven states get faster Internet connections, the foundation announced Thursday. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded nearly US$7 million to fund a pilot program aimed at helping public libraries in seven states get faster Internet connections, the foundation announced Thursday”. Click to Continue.
_____________________ CIO Insider, December 19, 2008.
ABA Journal Weekly Newsletter. December 23, 2008.
Top Ten Stories of the Week December 23, 2008.
Law Firms Is Thacher Proffitt Dissolving Before Christmas?
Dec 22, 2008, 11:59 am CST
Freshman U.S. House Members’ Committee Assignment Preferences
I am grateful to Basil Tilmon of GalleryWatch, Inc. in Washington, D.C. for sending me the following information compiled by Sara Ditta and the CongressNow Staff and am posting it here with his permission.
David Badertscher
Freshman House Members’ Committee Preferences By: Sara Ditta CongressNow Staff Dec 22, 2008 12:00 PM
New York State Archives: E-Mail Policy Guidelines
From: New York State Archives – Region 1 Newsletter, December 2008
The New York State Archives is pleased to announce the release of its email policy development guidelines. These guidelines are intended as a starting point for state agencies and local governments to use for writing policies and procedures that will guide a program for managing email. Given the complexity of managing email, not all agencies will have the same needs and issues. Users should adapt the guidelines to meet their own needs and capabilities, and continue to update their policies on an as-needed basis. If users have questions or comments regarding the guidelines, please contact Ann Marie Przybyla at aprzybyl@mail.nysed.gov, or 518-474-5834.
A copy of the guidelines is available at http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_pub85.shtml. If you have problems accessing the guidelines, please contact Sarah Durling at durling@mail.nysed.gov or 518-473-6803.