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DoIS news, Issue: February, 06 2005
by Concha Soler
We need your help!! If you think that this service is usefull for the LIS community and want to be involved in a international team of librarians, please get in touch with us In this issue there are news in English Italian Spanish French English  Italian Spanish French English 1/2/2005 Library Journal (go top)
Rural Libraries Get Official ALA Committee
Rural libraries now have a new platform within the American Library Association (ALA). During the ALA Midwinter Meeting, Council voted to approve the creation of the Standing Committee on Rural School, Tribal, Native, and Public Libraries. The committee is charged with addressing the needs of rural libraries, advocating for them, and collaborating with them. "The approval of the new ALA standing committee gives a larger and more forceful voice to libraries and library workers in rural America," said Satia Marshall Orange, director of ALA's Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS), who worked with the task force that brought the proposal to Council. Committee members will be selected by the ALA president and leadership of the Public Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, American Indian Library Association, the Legislative Committee, and OLOS. As the Task Force on Rural, School, Tribal, and Public Libraries, which began at Midwinter in 2003, prepared take the standing committee proposal to Council, it moved to add the word "Native" to include indigenous peoples who prefer the term. The new committee will aim to secure $50,000 for advocacy efforts from ALA sources. Also, the task force discussed asking ALA to create a membership category for rural library directors without the MLS. 1/2/2005 Library Journal (go top)
Compelling innovations come from America's smallest libraries
They serve anywhere from 800 to 25,000 users, with most in rural communities of several thousand. Their per capita support is all over the map, from barely 20 bucks up to more than $100. Whatever their size or their budgets, they provide some of the best library service in the country. LJ's newest award (see p. 38) is underwritten by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the tune of $10,000 cash for the library and travel expenses and registration for up to two people from the winning institution to attend the 2006 Public Library Association conference. The award recognizes the work being done in small libraries all across America, comprising 79 percent of all U.S. public libraries. They offer training classes in basic and advanced computer skills and online research using databases and the Internet. They help children and adults learn to read. They host cowboy singers, poetry slams, teen dances, improv nights, and authors of every type and stripe. They have more library cardholders than their official population and hold hundreds of programs with thousands of attendees. They partner with local schools and colleges, businesses, museums, Native American tribes, immigrant groups, and institutions of every ilk. They are the hub and the heart of their communities. Some of the 143 libraries nominated for the Best Small Library in America are the great have-nots of the library world, strapped by small budgets and few employees, isolated by fragile technology and vast distances but vigorously supported by, and supportive of, their residents. Those who work in them are often isolated, too, from the larger professional community because of limited travel and education budgets. They are a study in dedication. To hear our judges tell it, some of the most innovative work in the field, worthy of being emulated by the largest systems, is emerging from these smaller institutions. Just take a look at the Dragonfly Project in Haines Borough PL, AK, the Best Small Library in America 2005. With funding from an IMLS grant, it gives at-risk teens the skills to become computer savvy, then matches them with users who want to learn those skills. The mentors, who range in age from ten to 21, write the curriculum, teach the classes, and hold one-on-one tutoring sessions. As Donna Alward, director of Houghton Lake PL, MI, one of the finalists, noted, "Technology is the great leveler for rural libraries." Or consider Pelican Rapids PL, MN, another of our Special Mentions (p. 41), which went from 1800 people, mostly of Scandinavian descent, to 2300, with the influx of refugees and other immigrants from a dozen countries, among them Bosnia, Somalia, Mexico, Vietnam, and Laos. In 2003 the library reopened as a public library and Multicultural Learning Center. Now, staff show patrons how to use translation software to convert material into their own languages. Non-English speakers learn how to handle their finances here from software like the Rosetta Stone program. Pelican Rapids PL's "Faces of Change," a traveling photo/essay exhibit of over 20 residents, chronicles the town's transformation from "a community [that could have] died, either in actual fact or in spirit" to one that is "surviving, or rather thriving." Our judges didn't have an easy time of it. We were inundated with flyers, photos, DVDs, newspaper clippings of library programs and events, and letters, reminding us how deeply embedded in their communities these libraries are. Though LJ narrowed the 143 down to 20, then a dozen, and finally five, the judges would have been happy to pick any or all of them. As Seattle PL city librarian Deborah Jacobs said, "Who knew I would have been so happy on the first day of vacation to sit and read these five nominations all afternoon
. [R]eading them and thinking about them made me proud to be a librarian, made me cry, made me want to get the directors of these five libraries to teach my Public Library Advocacy class at the I School." Common to all these libraries is the deep reservoir of support they draw from their communities. In tiny towns across the country, hundreds of volunteers move and shelve books, teach classes, caulk windows, or do any of the myriad, often mundane tasks that keep these libraries running. Their residents have a sense of ownership and a personal stake in their libraries that large facilities can only hope to match. The 143 libraries nominated may be small, but their impact on American communities is huge. 1/2/2005 Library Journal (go top)
The Library Haines Built--Best Small Library in America 2005
"Community involvement," the standard cliché, doesn't come close to capturing the spirit and action that have structured the building, programs, collections, and services of the Haines Borough Public Library (HBPL), AK. Those achievements make HBPL the winner of the first annual award for the Best Small Library in America, cosponsored by Library Journal and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Haines is a remote community of 2600, about 70 miles northeast of Juneau as the crow flies, but that takes either half an hour by bush plane or three to five hours by boat. About 20 percent of the people who live there and use the library are members of the Chilkoot Indian Association or the Chilkat Indian Village, both Tlingit tribes native to the region. The facts of the library, impressive by themselves, only hint at the huge investment by nearly everyone in Haines. The library's circulation, now at 112,520, has increased 77 percent in the past five years, 27 percent last year alone. Free, unfiltered public Internet access, coupled with a variety of technology training and software applications, has meant more than 28,000 user sessions a year, tripling in five years and up 70 percent last year. The library budget of $293,000 comes from Haines Borough citizens, who tax themselves to the tune of $113 per capita for library service. That also covers use by tourists and seasonal residents. The library spends about 11 percent of that budget on collections. Most of the money ($270,000) comes from property taxes. The rest is revenue from book sales, fines, and small donations. HBPL is visited roughly 67,000 times a year. "We didn't [include] in our [award] application that Haines has tax resistance," says Director Ann Myren, "but, of course, we do. We have to work pretty hard for our budget, especially in the last year." The community, in a newly combined government of town and borough (like a county), passed a tax cap. The amount collected had to be reduced. Myren thinks that might make it harder to sustain the budget. The HBPL staff is the equivalent of five full-timers but is nearly all part-time employees, about eight total. Myren became a librarian when she first moved to Alaska and worked in a media center for a small school system. She took classes in library science at the University of Utah but didn't get her MLS. Next June she'll complete her 20th year at HBPL. Patrons and staff love her, and people get nervous when she mentions retirement. In a way, everyone in town works in the library. It is the contacts and diversity of the paid staff, the library board, the board of the Friends of the Library, and the amazing 75 volunteers that keep the library alert to the needs of its users. The volunteers work at the desk, on special projects, story time, and, of course, routine tasks like shelving books. "All of our evening hours, 79 p.m. every day, are completely staffed by volunteers," says Myren. "That is a tradition of our library." The Dragonfly Project, a partnership between HBPL and the Chilkoot Indian Association, dramatically displays the creativity and change that can come from local collaboration primed with outside support. It is one of two projects in which the library and the Chilkoots have partnered. Beyond benefiting the whole community, it has transformed it. The dragonfly is a Tlingit symbol for transformation. The project, funded by an Enhancement Grant for Native Americans from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), teaches at-risk youth the skills and patience to become technology mentors and experts for the rest of the community, especially older folks not yet computer-literate. It works like a charm. Mentors, age ten to 21, write curricula and develop classes and one-on-one sessions. They provide support for people, and HBPL lends laptops inside the building, which has wireless access. In its second phase, the project expanded to digital media and filmmaking. The DVDs and tapes produced, most about Native American culture, are now a popular part of the library's collection. "It has been fun to see the young teaching the old," Myren says. She tells of one boy, often in trouble before Dragonfly, who is now known in town as "Professor Mike." He gets calls at home to help people with their computer problems and even makes house calls. Myren credits the Chilkoots for having the vision to make the program serve everyone. Linda Moyer, who coordinates Dragonfly for HBPL, worked to get kids involved and keep them coming. She designs the wonderful graphics and posters that attract people to Dragonfly, and her artistic skills have changed the look of the library and its image in the community. The Chilkoot Association also partnered with HBPL on after-school programs. "We are pleased that a multicultural focus has been taken in regard to library services and that ties between our Tribal members and the community are being strengthened," says Chilkoot VP Dave Berry. If Dragonfly unleashed a new era of technology at HBPL, the leadership of Myren and the board made sure it was both free of charges and liberated from restraints. "We are unfiltered!" Myren says with pride. HBPL gets E-rate money for its telephone connection but not for the Internet. It was a unanimous policy decision by the board. The members believed people had the right to see what they wanted but also noted that the cost of filtering and the cost to monitor filtering wasn't worth it. In addition, the evening staff of volunteers would have had to learn how to remove filters. "Filtering wouldn't have made any money for us," says Myren. "It would just make things more complex, while taking away the freedom of people to view what they want." The same spirit, involving nearly everyone in town and many people from outside, built HBPL's current library. Opened in January 2003, it is a beauty, made all the more magnificent by the outside and local community hands and resources that created it. First, a $400,000 local bond issue passed with 67 percent of the vote. To that amount were added grants from Alaska's Rasmusen Foundation, Murdock Charitable Trust, and Paul Allen Foundation; the hard work on fundraising events by the Friends group; and, biggest of all, rural development money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There were other grants, too. In the end, HBPL raised $2.5 million. With the cash came many in-kind donations. One local craftsman contributed a week of his time to help build library furniture. The new library is right in the center of town, on a site adjacent to all the school property, with a good view of the Cathedral Mountains. The library is still collecting native species to complete the HBPL gardens and landscaping. Myren worked on the grant applications for the building with major assistance from HBPL board member Cecily Stern. The two also wrote the Dragonfly Project application and several others. Grants brought HBPL $116,000 in 2004. "Our library's success can be traced to the support of our entire community," says Myren, citing the board, volunteers, Friends, local organizations, staff, patrons, and "of course, municipal government." That community extends to outside agencies, foundations, partners, and funders, including the Alaska State Library (ASL) staff and grant programs. Myren says the state library has provided mentors, facilitators, partners, and supporters in many ways, from training sessions to including HBPL in grant applications. ASL offers HBPL lots of day-to-day advice and assistance. State Library Interlibrary Cooperation Grants and Public Library Assistance grants helped HBPL form a cooperative effort with the school district, upgrade to an online catalog, and expand the Dragonfly Project. "For small rural libraries like ours, this support has been incredibly important," says Myren. "The consensus of our staff and board is that in a small community where resources and opportunities are limited, it is important that the library is there for everybody," says Myren, answering a question about HBPL's effort to provide varied services. "We try to make sure that when people walk in, they feel welcome and know that they are going to get our attention. We want them to know that we are there for them." Though HBPL helps people with research needs through interlibrary loan, "we're not trying to be a research library," Myren continues. She and the staff, board, and volunteers work to find out what their community needs. HBPL surveys patrons every two years, about 20 questions, about the collection and services. "We want our library to be used for many things, not just traditional library services. That way people come and use it." HBPL is engaged in many other partnerships and programs. The library spearheaded the creation of the Southeast Alaska Network with the University of Alaska, state library, and Southeast Alaska Regional Resource Center. It linked with the local school district, local government, chamber of commerce, and local businesses in a public/private partnership to strengthen Internet access. The HBPL Perspectives programs developed a monthly series of dialogs on public issues with expert speakers on comparative religion, native culture, civic engagement, music, and ecology. HBPL has a half-dozen or more programs for young people. Combined, the programs attracted up to 700 first-timers to the library. In one year, the library hosted some 39 adult and six youth events and eight musical performances, out of which the library created a PowerPoint presentation on "How To Develop a Speakers Program," now posted on the HBPL web site (haineslibrary.org). "We like to celebrate," says Myren. The new library is "the place" in Haines. When the 22' Christmas tree is put up, Frankie Jones exercises her talent as a decorator and leads a community holiday decorating spree to get HBPL beautified for the season. Then everyone attends a holiday party called "the Lighting of the Library," and those who can, kick in donations. The big room and even the whole library can be rented for wedding receptions and other festivities. The Haines Homecoming Dance is held there as well. As the seasonal workers and tourists come to town, the library gets really busy. When cruise ships dock, as they do two or three times a week in the summer, there are lines waiting to get in to HBPL to use the Internet. But right now, when the sun breaks over the mountains at about 9:30 a.m. and sets just after 3:30 p.m. and only the 2600 year-round Haines citizens are around, that library is a seven-day-a-week beacon. It's like Christy Tengs Fowler, a local business owner, said about the library: "For visitors, it is an inviting place to connect with the outside world and even stay a bit longer in ours
for locals, it is a sanctuary in which to retreat from a sometimes hard life, then go back out in the world rejuvenated." 1/2/2005 Mehrnews.com (go top)
Iranian documents microfilmed in Azerbaijan
TEHRAN - Irans Documents Organization and the National Library of Iran recently made 10,000 microfilms of Iranian documents and handwritten books which are kept in the state archives and libraries of the Azerbaijan Republic, the deputy director of the Documents Organization announced on Monday in a press release. The action was taken in line with an agreement that the Iranian Documents Organization and the Azerbaijan General Office for Documents signed several years ago. We have no exact statistics for the Iranian historical texts being kept in different countries, but the archives of the former East India Company as well as many French archives contain many Iranian documents and access to them allows entry into a vast world of information on Irans history, Kianush Kiani added. He also said that a great number of Iranian historical documents and handwritten books are kept in various centers in Malaysia, Britain, and Russia. Agreements have been signed with Russia, France, and Malaysia granting permission to make microfilms of the texts in the near future, he added. Iranian officials are currently holding negotiations with several countries to convince them to return some of the documents related to Iran and Iranian cultural identity, Kiani said in conclusion. 2/2/2005 Managing Information (go top)
Elsevier Global Partnership To Grow Libraries In Developing Countries
Elsevier has formed partnerships with the European-based group Book Aid International and the US-based Sabre Foundation to facilitate the distribution of books throughout developing countries. Elsevier places a high value on the dissemination of knowledge and resources, and supports efforts that help people all over the world access scientific, medical and technical books and journals. In some areas of the developing world, a lack of literacy skills, as well as extremely limited financial resources, can prevent libraries and other institutions from being able to purchase the books that they want and need. Both Book Aid International and the Sabre Foundation have many years of experience distributing books and have formed strong local alliances in many developing countries, with a particular breadth of experience across sub-Saharan Africa. Their distribution channels ensure that book donations will be distributed without disrupting sales of local booksellers, thereby leaving local economies unhindered in the recipient countries. Nicola Cadbury, Head of Public Relations, Book Aid said of the partnership, "We are very excited about the partnership with Elsevier. Reed Elsevier companies, such as Elsevier and Harcourt Education, have been very generous to Book Aid in the past and we look forward to our continued collaboration in bringing much needed publications to the developing world." Some activities, designed to help libraries grow, are already under way and include: 'Bring a Book to Work Week,' where Elsevier employees make individual book donations, in subject areas such as adult fiction and reference books; a recent grant by Reed Elsevier to purchase books for refugee children in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia; and a new company policy where all unsaleable returns of paperback books to Elsevier's UK warehouse will be distributed in recipient countries. "We are proud of the books we publish, and of our authors. We know that in some parts of the world medical texts are extremely hard to come by but desperately needed; for instance in refugee camps there is huge need but no ability to pay. That is why working with partners like Book Aid International and Sabre is so important because they can get our books to where they are needed without wasting a single copy, and what's more they can train the librarians to make the most of them when they are there," said Mary Ging, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Health Sciences, Elsevier. 3/2/2005 Herald Today (go top)
Long-captive Nixon archives will be entered into library
YORBA LINDA, Calif. - On Saturday afternoons, brides and grooms exchange vows on the lawn just yards from the graves of former President Nixon and his wife, Pat. It is the kind of commercialism that has helped pay the bills at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace, the only presidential library without federal funding. But such small-time fund raising may no longer be needed. Three decades after the 37th president resigned in disgrace and the government seized his papers and tapes, a change in the law is sending the material home, transforming Nixon's library from a private institution into a National Archives collection and making it eligible for millions of dollars in federal money. Library officials are planning a new addition to the 46 million pages of records, 30,000 gifts and 3,700 hours of recordings, including the White House tapes that sealed Nixon's downfall. Some Nixon critics are portraying the transfer as the latest attempt by Nixon's partisans to control his legacy. "At Yorba Linda, materials are used to resurrect Nixon's familiar ploy of rewriting his own history, as he wished it to be," historian Stanley Kutler wrote in a Boston Globe opinion piece. Kutler sued in 1996 for access to the Nixon tapes. Library officials dispute that, noting that the library, which opened in 1990, will be run by the National Archives in the same way as the 11 other presidential libraries. Duties will be split between federal archivists and private foundation staff. The transfer was made possible by language in a 2004 spending bill deleting a federal prohibition against removing Nixon's papers and tapes from the Washington area. California Republicans, including Rep. Gary Miller, who represents Yorba Linda, sought the change. "I think the issue why they were held there is long gone," Miller said. "Why should this one library be different from every other presidential library in the United States?" Before Nixon, presidential papers belonged to the president, though every chief executive since from Franklin Roosevelt on donated his to the government in exchange for a publicly supported library. After Nixon resigned in 1974, lawmakers, afraid that he would destroy documents necessary for the Watergate investigation, passed a law giving the government possession of his papers and tapes. Four years later, Congress passed the Presidential Records Act, abolishing private ownership of presidential papers. It is expected to take until 2009 to transfer all Nixon's records to the library 30 miles south of Los Angeles. www.nixonfoundation.org Italian 4/2/2005 Adnkronos (go top)
Parma: l'archivio di Guareschi sara' riordinao per centenario nascita
L'archivio di Giovannino Guareschi rinasce a nuova vita. In previsione del centenario della nascita del celebre scrittore, che cadra' nel 2008, la Provincia di Parma, il Comune di Busseto e l'Istituto per i beni artistici e culturali della Regione Emilia Romagna hanno sottoscritto infatti un accordo con gli eredi per il riordino, la schedatura e l'inventariazione dell'archivio del padre di Don Camillo e Peppone. L'iniziativa sara' presentata nel corso di una conferenza stampa che avra' luogo lunedi' 7 febbraio alle 10,30 in sala Savani della Provincia di Parma. Spanish 1/2/2005 La Razón (go top)
Cervantesvirtual.com incorpora fondos de la Biblioteca Abadía de Montserrat
La Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes ha creado una sección dedicada a la Biblioteca Abadía de Montserrat , con la que pretende facilitar la consulta a través de internet de algunos de los fondos más relevantes de esta institución religiosa, que ya aparece documentada en el siglo XI y que en la actualidad alberga cerca de 250.000 volúmenes, 400 incunables y 2.000 manuscritos. Entre sus fondos, destaca el texto catalán más antiguo conocido (de finales del s. XII). Para hacer realidad este proyecto ha sido decisiva la participación de Fundación Telefónica y la disponibilidad de la Fundació Abadía de Montserrat 2025. En una primera fase de trabajo se han incorporado documentos medievales, manuscritos e incunables, representativos de los fondos de la Abadía, que ya se pueden consultar a través de internet. De este modo, en el actual catálogo destacan las ediciones facsimilares de «Sermones de Sanctis [fragment d'un incunable]», de Sant Vicent Ferrer (Norimbergae, Antonius Koberger, 1492), y de «Llibre de oracions e de doctrina d'amar a Deu», de Ramon Llull (manuscrito fechado en 1024), así como «De synonymis», de Alfonso de Palencia, o de «Llibre Vermell de Montserrat», del siglo XIV. Se encuentra, además, el «Cançoner del Marquès de Barberà», que alberga, entre otras obras, «Las trescientas» o «Laberinto de Fortuna», de Juan de Mena. También se puede consultar el «Recull humanístic llatí i catalá», donde se incluye «Flores sumpte a magistro Patrarca laureato». La Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes nació el 27 de julio de 1999 por iniciativa de la Universidad de Alicante, el Grupo Santander y la Fundación Marcelino Botín. Tiene por objetivo la difusión de la literatura y las letras hispanoamericanas en el mundo. Sus fondos disponibles en la Red de forma gratuita presentan cerca de 13.000 registros bibliográficos, lo que la convierte en el portal de referencia internacional de las letras hispánicas. Desde su creación, la Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes ha servido más de 150 millones de páginas. Cervantesvirtual.com forma parte del Programa de Universidades del Grupo Santander, a través del cual el banco participa en el desarrollo de los sistemas de enseñanza superior. El programa tiene tres áreas de actuación: los convenios de colaboración con instituciones, el portal Universia y la Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. Con sus convenios de colaboración, el banco ofrece a las universidades servicios académicos, tecnológicos y financieros. Desde 1997, el banco ha firmado 412 acuerdos en España, América Latina y Portugal. Por otra parte, desde su nacimiento en el verano de 2000, el portal Universia.net se ha consolidado como la mayor red universitaria que existe en internet. El portal, operativo en diez países, agrupa a 812 universidades asociadas, que representan a 8,6 millones de universitarios. 1/2/2005 La Nueva España (go top)
El Archivo de Indianos amplía fondos con el legado de emigrantes a Estados Unidos
El Archivo de Indianos verá pronto ampliados sus fondos documentales sobre la emigración asturiana a Estados Unidos, gracias a la colaboración con la Universidad de Florida del Sur. El museo de la emigración recibió ayer la visita de representantes de dicha institución académica, quienes se comprometieron a aportar archivos digitalizados sobre diferentes facetas de la vida de los asturianos en la ciudad de Tampa. Como muestra de su voluntad para establecer una colaboración, la delegación universitaria trajo consigo fondos digitalizados sobre cementerios españoles y el Centro Asturiano de Tampa. El Archivo de Indianos de Colombres, en el concejo de Ribadedeva, ampliará su fondo documental sobre la emigración asturiana a Estados Unidos. En concreto, serán archivos y datos sobre emigrantes asturianos y españoles al Estado de Florida, que en la actualidad están en posesión de la Universidad de Florida del Sur. Por ese motivo, el museo de la emigración recibió ayer la visita de una delegación de representantes de la Universidad, encabezados por la rectora Judy L. Genshaft, y que estuvieron acompañados por el magistrado Emiliano Salcines, quien ha desarrollado una gran labor en favor del Archivo de Indianos en Estados Unidos. Los representantes de la Universidad de Florida del Sur se mostraron totalmente dispuestos a establecer un acuerdo de colaboración con el Archivo de Indianos, al que en próximas fechas cederán algunos archivos digitalizados con información sobre el Centro Asturiano de la ciudad de Tampa, actividades comerciales del mismo o actividades sociales y culturales que desarrollaban los asturianos emigrantes en la zona. Según señaló el director de la colección especial de la Universidad, Mark Greenberg, la documentación que poseen sobre dichas actividades es enorme por lo que la labor para catalogarla y clasificarla será dura. Por ese motivo, tendieron una mano a los responsables del Archivo de Indianos para desarrollar ese trabajo en común y que dicha experiencia sirva, al mismo tiempo, para que seleccionen la documentación que puede resultar de mayor interés para el museo de la emigración. Como muestra de la buena disposición para desarrollar una colaboración bilateral, la delegación de Florida trajo con sigo documentación digitalizada de cuatro cementerios de españoles en la zona, donde se encuentran asturianos, además de documentación sobre el Centro Asturiano de Tampa que ya se ha podido digitalizar. «Esto es sólo el comienzo del tipo de información que podemos traer», señaló Greenberg. En ese sentido también se pronunció la decana y responsable de las bibliotecas de la Universidad, Derrie Pérez, quien abundó en el enorme proceso de digitalización de fondos en el que está inmersa la institución académica, algo de lo que se verá beneficiado el Archivo de Indianos para que «se pueda divulgar dicha información y que estudiosos e investigadores puedan acceder a material sobre la historia de España y de Asturias». La colaboración entre Tampa y el Archivo de Indianos comenzó en 2002, algo que se vio plasmado en la creación de una sala con documentación sobre el Centro Asturiano de La Habana, Cuba, y su filial en Tampa, algo que seguirá creciendo en los próximos años El director del Archivo de Indianos, Santiago González Romero, manifestó su agradecimiento por «esa colaboración desinteresada que ha permitido completar la documentación sobre La Habana y Estados Unidos». La rector de la Universidad de Florida del Sur manifestó su satisfacción al poder desarrollar dicha colaboración por ser «parte de nuestra misión para con nuestra comunidad». 2/2/2005 Agencia EUROPA PRESS (go top)
Aparece en Murcia un ejemplar del Quijote fechado en 1605 que pertenece a la edición Príncipe
La localidad murciana de Alhama de Murcia ha sido testigo de la aparición de un ejemplar del Quijote fechado en 1605 que pertenece a la edición Príncipe, la primera publicada de esta obra de Cervantes considerada una auténtica joya de bibliófilos. Así lo explicó hoy en declaraciones a Radio 5 recogidas por Europa Press José Calero Heras, catedrático de Literatura del Instituto de Educación Secundaria Valle de Leiva en Murcia. Calero explicó que la Casa de Cultura de Alhama acogió ayer el primero de los actos organizados por el citado Instituto para celebrar el IV centenario de la publicación del Quijote. Junto a la lectura de esta obra tanto por parte de alumnos como de profesores y padres se organizó una exposición conformada con diferentes ejemplares que cada uno tenía en sus casas. Fue así como uno de los alumnos dijo que su familia tenía uno "muy viejo que no se podía leer" y que resultó estar fechado en 1605. Dicho ejemplar había pertenecido, hasta donde sus dueños conocían, a un bisabuelo que había estado en Cuba. José Calero señaló que se dieron cuenta de que se trataba de un ejemplar de la edición Príncipe por varias características especiales que tiene esta edición y que son fácilmente comprobables como que en la primera página reza una dedicatoria al duque de Beiar donde aparece un escudo y una frase en latín que dice "Después de las tinieblas espero la luz". Ahora, una comisión de expertos de la Biblioteca Nacional va a estudiar este libro por lo que respecta al análisis del papel, de la tinta, la impresión y las cuestiones científicas y técnicas que confirmarían el hallazgo. Estos expertos ofrecerán un dictamen final. José Calero indicó también que sólo se conocen 18 ejemplares en todo el mundo de esta edición Príncipe lo que le dan un valor incalculable y agregó que en España sólo hay cuatro de ellas. "Si se comprobara finalmente que es de la edición Príncipe sería un hallazgo sensacional", insistió. French 31/1/2005 El Universal (go top)
Aumentan los grupos de lectura en español en Estados Unidos
Se reúnen en librerías, bibliotecas públicas y hasta en el espacio cibernético; la cadena Barnes & Noble lleva la delantera en esta actividad y actualmente mantiene el mayor número de ventas en libros de habla hispana Desde librerías y bibliotecas hasta el espacio cibernético, en los últimos años el número de grupos de lectura en español se ha multiplicado y esparcido por todo el país. En ciudades como Nueva York, San Francisco y Miami, es fácil encontrar una variedad de grupos organizados de lectura en español que se reúnen en librerías y bibliotecas públicas con una agenda específica de lectura. Entre las cadenas de librerías que han tomado la iniciativa de promover este tipo de encuentro, Barnes & Noble lleva la delantera, fomentando activamente "círculos de lectura" en sus sucursales que mantienen el número mayor de ventas de libros en español. La iniciativa no es algo nuevo. El "Círculo de lectura en español" de la librería Barnes & Noble en Plantation, Florida, lleva seis años en existencia. La escritora colombiana Freda Mosquera dirige este grupo desde septiembre de 1998, reuniendo una vez al mes a un creciente grupo internacional para hablar de libros en español de todo tipo. El grupo mantiene una presencia cibernética con comentarios y reseñas de sus participantes y enlaces a otros portales literarios. Las librerías Borders y Books & Books también han organizado sus propios grupos de lectura, al igual que eventos como talleres literarios, presentaciones de escritores y charlas abiertas a la comunidad hispanohablante. A pesar de su buena acogida, estos grupos y eventos no son coordinados a nivel nacional, sino independientemente por cada sucursal, lo cual facilita la participación comunitaria, ya que no se impone una agenda específica. El sector bibliotecario también se ha destacado en la organización y expansión de grupos de lectura en español, pues casi todas las bibliotecas que sirven a su comunidad hispana local cuentan con uno. Como en el caso de las cadenas de librerías, las iniciativas bibliotecarias tampoco han sido coordinadas a nivel nacional. Sin embargo, la Asociación Americana de Bibliotecas (ALA, en inglés) ha difundido historias de éxito de bibliotecas específicas que han implementado grupos de lectura en español. Una de éstas fue la Biblioteca del Condado Hennepin en Minnesota, lugar donde la población hispana experimentó un crecimiento de más de 200 por ciento en menos de una década. En su esfuerzo por atraer a este segmento de la población, el sistema de bibliotecas del condado inició en 2003 el programa "Libros y más", con grupos de lectura para niños y adultos, talleres y colaboraciones con otras entidades del área. Según expertos en sociología y alfabetización, los grupos de lectura brindan innumerables beneficios a sus miembros y a la comunidad, ya que sirven como punto de encuentro, motivan la reflexión individual y de grupo, y refuerzan la habilidad de lectura, comprensión y análisis crítico. Una iniciativa que se ha destacado en los últimos años es "Gente y Cuentos", que desde 1981 lleva uniendo libros y lectores en EEUU y Puerto Rico. Más formal que otras iniciativas independientes, la fundación sin fines de lucro "Gente y cuentos" mantiene un personal experto en material de alfabetización y trabaja con bibliotecarios para entrenar a los facilitadores de grupo. Según sus directores, el grupo se enfoca en la lectura en voz alta para permitir la participación de personas de poca alfabetización. A la lectura le sigue una discusión guiada que ayuda a que los participantes relaten su propia experiencia durante la lectura. Según los organizadores, este diseño motiva a los participantes a continuar la lectura independientemente. La fundación cita a maestros, psicólogos y trabajadores sociales en los diversos beneficios del programa, desde la habilidad de resolver conflictos hasta ayudar en programas de rehabilitación de abuso de drogas o alcohol. El proyecto, que cuenta con el patrocinio del National Endowment for the Arts, espera expandir sus programas a 24 bibliotecas en catorce estados en el próximo año. Recientemente, varias editoriales estadounidenses con sellos en español, como HarperCollins y RandomHouse, han incluido en sus sitios de Internet guías de discusión en español para sus publicaciones. Entre estas iniciativas se destaca la labor de Milena Alberti-Pérez, nueva directora del sello Vintage-Español (RandomHouse), quien acaba de lanzar una guía para promocionar la creación de grupos independientes de lectura en español. La guía, que será distribuida a través de librerías y bibliotecas, se enfoca en la selección de libros y en la organización de las reuniones. "Los grupos de lectura ofrecen a los amantes de la literatura en general una oportunidad única de conocer gente que comparte los mismos intereses, de entablar discusiones estimulantes sobre una variedad de temas y, sobretodo, de leer buenos libros", añadió Alberti-Pérez. Señaló que la guía de grupos pronto estará disponible en la página web del sello www.vintagebooks.com. 31/1/2005 Radio France (go top)
Sauvetage de la bibliothèque du Séminaire Israélite de France
Cette collection riche de 45.000 ouvrages, remontant aux premières années de l'imprimerie, était à l'abandon dans un bâtiment préfabriqué, au fond d'une cour, au 9 rue Vauquelin (5ème arrdt de Paris). C'est là que se situe l'Ecole rabbinique, qui forme les rabbins de la communauté juive de France. D'un intérêt scientifique considérable, cette collection revêt aussi une valeur symbolique très forte, puisqu'une grande partie du fonds a été spoliée par les nazis. Dès la Libération, les ouvrages ont été récupérés par le grand Rabbin Liber, directeur du séminaire. Nombre d'ouvrages portent le tampon du IIIème Reich. Dès le début des années 60, le Consistoire Central, mobilisé par l'accueil des Juifs réfugiés d'Afrique du Nord, délaissa le fonds, en proie aux infiltrations, aux voleurs et aux rats. Une association de bénévoles, "Sifria", s'est constituée en 2002 à l'initiative de Laurent Munnich, spécialiste des problématiques de préservation du patrimoine écrit. Un à un, les 45.000 ouvrages furent nettoyés, le bâtiment remis en état, étanchéifié, sécurisé et équipé de rayonnages. Il restait à assurer l'accès aux ouvrages. Pour réussir le catalogage informatique des livres, Sifria, qui a reçu le soutien de la Fondation pour la mémoire de la Shoah, de la Bibliothèque Nationale de France et de la Mairie de Paris, "a passé un partenariat avec la Bibliothèque Nationale de l'Université de Jérusalem. Aujourd'hui, une vingtaine d'experts travaillent depuis Jérusalem, grâce à un outil informatique développé pour la circonstance", explique M. Munnich. Selon lui, les autres Bibliothèques Juives de Paris se sont rapprochées de "Sifria" pour bénéficier de sa dynamique. C'est ainsi que s'est constitué le Catalogue Rachel qui donnera accès, via un portail unique, à l'ensemble des catalogues de ces bibliothèques. Aujourd'hui, la salle de lecture de la Bibliothèque du Séminaire est rouverte au public. Le travail de catalogage devrait être terminé fin 2005. 2/2/2005 Gouvernement du Canada (go top)
Le Gouvernement du Canada appuie le consortium des bibliothèques du Manitoba
WINNIPEG -- Reg Alcock, président du Conseil du Trésor et député de Winnipeg-Sud, a annoncé aujourd'hui, au nom de Liza Frulla, ministre du Patrimoine canadien et ministre responsable de la Condition féminine, l'octroi de 369 015 dollars au Consortium des bibliothèques du Manitoba. Cet appui financier permettra à l'organisme de concevoir un site Web portant sur l'histoire du Manitoba. Ce site est en quelque sorte une fenêtre virtuelle qui s'ouvre sur l'histoire de la vie rurale au Manitoba et au Canada. Les jeunes Canadiens et Canadiennes y découvriront les difficultés qu'ont dû surmonter leurs ancêtres, de déclarer le ministre Alcock. En créant des sites comme celui-ci, nous préservons l'histoire des gens et des événements qui ont marqué notre pays, d'ajouter la ministre Frulla. Je suis fière d'appuyer ce projet qui permettra aux internautes des quatre coins du monde de découvrir une époque de notre histoire dans toute sa diversité. Le site du Consortium des bibliothèques du Manitoba présentera des documents rédigés par des francophones et des anglophones qui habitaient le Manitoba de 1859 à 1919. On y trouvera notamment le journal de Mary Louise Pickering qui, dès l'âge de 13 ans, relatait le défi que représentait l'éducation d'une jeune famille dans la campagne manitobaine de l'époque. Le site portera également sur l'adolescence, la vie familiale et rurale, l'éducation et l'engagement social. Le ministère du Patrimoine canadien a accordé cet appui financier par l'entremise du Fonds des partenariats, l'un des volets de la stratégie de Culture canadienne en ligne. L'objectif principal du Fonds est de favoriser les initiatives de partenariat entre des organismes sans but lucratif, publics et privés qui visent, par l'entremise d'Internet et dans les deux langues officielles, à donner aux Canadiens et Canadiennes accès aux collections culturelles détenues par les organismes culturels provinciaux, municipaux et locaux. L'appui financier annoncé aujourd'hui était prévu au budget fédéral de mars 2004. 5/2/2005 Le Figaro (go top)
Finie la division entre archives de l'armée de terre, de l'air, de la marine, de la gendarmerie et de l'armement
Finie la division entre archives de l'armée de terre, de l'air, de la marine, de la gendarmerie et de l'armement. Un décret publié le 19 janvier au Journal officiel réunit désormais tous les départements chargés de conserver et valoriser la mémoire de l'armée française. Cette nouvelle institution a pour nom le Service historique de la Défense, placé sous l'autorité d'un directeur unique qui va être nommé sous peu et dont on murmure, de bonne source, qu'il s'agirait de l'amiral de Cotençon. Une tradition française datant de la monarchie veut que tous les ministères déposent leurs documents aux Archives nationales à l'exception de deux d'entre eux : la Défense et les Affaires étrangères. C'est ainsi qu'au ministère de la Défense, on conserve des archives depuis le XVIIe siècle. On peut donc y consulter des documents, des cartes de batailles, des plans de forts, datant du règne de Louis XIV, mais aussi les archives des deux guerres mondiales en passant par l'épopée napoléonienne. Jusqu'à présent, les archives des armées de terre, de mer et de l'air sont installées au château de Vincennes, celles de l'armement à Châtellerault, celles de la gendarmerie à Maisons-Alfort, l'établissement cinématographique et photographique des armées occupe le fort d'Ivry-sur-Seine et les archives des anciens combattants se trouvent à Caen. A terme, tout sera réuni à Vincennes, sauf les archives de l'armement qui demeureront à Châtellerault. «La volonté du ministère, a expliqué Evelyne Ratte, secrétaire générale pour l'administration du ministère de la Défense, a été d'abord d'améliorer la politique de collecte, de conservation et de mise à disposition du public d'un patrimoine considérable qui va occuper désormais 590 kilomètres de rayonnages à Vincennes au lieu des 500 actuels.» Il faut également tenir compte du million de volumes des bibliothèques de l'armée, dont certains datent du XVIe siècle. Réunissant armée de terre et marine, ils comprennent quelques exemplaires rares et de nombreux manuscrits, tel le cahier de géographie de Louis XIV enfant. «Le second objectif est de créer un service à compétence nationale réuni au sein d'une même sous-direction des archives et des bibliothèques, dont la tutelle passe des armées à l'administration de la Défense.» Le discours officiel ne dit pas qu'il y a eu quelques grincements de dents dans les états-majors. Le budget alloué à la réforme est de 20 millions d'euros, dont 17 millions pour la rémunération des archivistes dont certains seront des conservateurs du patrimoine, des civils donc. A l'heure actuelle, 504 personnes y travaillent et 35 postes ont déjà été supprimés. L'armée, depuis qu'elle ne dispose plus d'appelés, manque cruellement de personnel. C'est aussi là, une des raisons inavouées de la réforme qui vise également à «renforcer les personnels scientifiques». A Vincennes, un lieu d'accueil unique orientera les lecteurs vers la salle de lecture adéquate et une carte de lecteur, unique elle aussi, donnera accès à tous les fonds. étant entendu que tout n'est pas consultable instantanément dans le domaine militaire. «En général, a poursuivi Mme Ratte, un dossier est ouvert au bout de 30 ans, ceux qui sont susceptibles de nuire à la sécurité de l'Etat subissent un embargo de 60 ans. Les procès et les dossiers d'état civil ne sont consultables qu'au bout de 100 ans, et les dossiers individuels au bout de 120 ans.» L'informatisation de cette énorme masse de documents est en cours. Elle a commencé il y a un an : la marine et la gendarmerie ont déjà leur site et les autres sont en cours de numérisation. Dès l'automne 2003, le fichier des «Morts pour la France» de la Première Guerre mondiale a été mis en ligne. Il a déjà été consulté par plus d'un million et demi de citoyens. On envisage également de numériser la musique militaire et notamment l'antiphonaire du Musée de l'armée. Vous pouvez consulter le site du Service historique de la Défense sur www.mémoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr For comments about this page please contact Concha Soler
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