Library Stuff Blog from Steven M. Cohen

It is hard to keep up with the library happenings across the nation and the world. Conventions, sessions, meetings, people getting fired for doing libelous things.

That is why I appreciate Steven Cohen's Library Stuff. In some respects it is like Headline Library Network News. He directs you to the source of the story and there is an occasional comment.

Sure it is easy to point the finger at library purps who don't pay their fines or county officials that still think America is linguistically fixed at 1808 and not an evolving multilingual nation. That is like shooting fish in a barrel.



As you move through his posts you start to get the tingles that something are not right in the library world.

For example, he has a referral post on a Library Assistant who wrote a book about the more colorful patrons that she encountered on the job. You can read the full story at the Traverse City Eagle-Record.

Here are a few small hints should anyone thinking about doing this...

• Yes, it is a good idea to do this under an assumed name.
  
• Yes you should change the names of the people you write about. Seriously altering personal identifiers would be even better.
  
• Yes, you should read in depth about libel, libel laws and workplace confidentiality.
  
• No, do not included a photo of the actual library, even if you put it in a collage
  

There is more than just library crime and mischief at the blog. This is a fast way to learn how other libraries are incorporating audio/mp3 files into their collections, there are issues with Google and did they run a game on librarians, and can the ALA trademark on the word READ?

I don't want to give the wrong impression. According to Mr. Cohen, he plans to transition his blog more to law, law marketing and law library related issues. Blogs can and do evolve. So by the time you get to Library Stuff it might not be the same as I described it.

Either way, it is a good way to survey what is happening in the library verse.