News

San Diego Central Construction Finally Gains Momentum
After seemingly being stuck in local political mire forever, construction plans for a new San Diego Central Library finally are moving forward thanks to the city council voting to bid the project out—after the state threatened to pull its $20 million contribution. » » »

SirsiDynix Wants Five Queens Library Charges Dropped
SirsiDynix has filed a motion to have the broader charges brought against it by the Queens Library dropped, claiming that the suit is little more than a contract dispute. » » »

Webcast: Doing More with Less; “Training Up” in Tough Economic Times
The old saw that you’re never too old to learn is taking on new meaning in libraries, as training of staffers of all ages and levels keeps services, whether technology- or customer-oriented, at their very best. A trio of public and academic librarians share their methods in this webcast. » » »

Editorial: It’s Not About Dewey
As some libraries drop Dewey, it’s not just about installing a bookstore model alternative but offering a combination of easy browsability and patron-friendly language to make libraries more usable. » » »

Best Small Library in America Nominations Due
LJ is now accepting final nominations for its annual Best Small Library in America Award, showcasing the work of libraries with populations of 25,000 or less. The winner receives a $15,000 cash prize, a feature in LJ, costs for two at the 2010 Public Library Association conference, and a gala celebration; runners up also receive costs for two to attend PLA. Deadline for submissions is November 13—think big! » » »

Blogs

LJ Talks To

Michael O'Brien
In the November 1 LJ, Stewart Desmond gives a starred review to Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon by Michael O'Brien, a Bancroft Prize-winner for his Conjectures of Order: Intellectual Life and the American South, 1810-1860. In his new book, O'Brien traces the dramatic 1815 journey of Louisa Catherine Adams, wife of future President John Quincy Adams, as she departs St. Petersburg, Russia with her young son, and sets out to meet her husband in Paris. "What drew you to the story," Desmond asks the author. » » »

Wyatt's World

All In

• Take Me to the River: A Wayward and Perilous Journey to the World Series of Poker by Peter Alson (Atria)
• Poker Nation: A High-Stakes, Low-Life Adventure into the Heart of a Gambling Country by Andy Bellin (Harper Paperbacks)
• The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time by Michael Craig (Grand Central)
• One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson (Atria)
• Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker by James McManus (Farrar)

For more on Collection Development, click here

Review

Matheson, Richard. The Box: Uncanny Stories.

 4 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 5 hrs. Macmillan Audio from BBC Audiobooks America. Oct. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7927-6671-1. $49.95; 4 CDs. retail ed. Macmillan Audio; digital download. F

Combining humor and horror (think O. Henry crossed with Stephen King), these 12 stories represent Hugo and Edgar award–winning author Matheson’s (I Am Legend) immense talents and are as spooky today as when they were first published in 1970. This audio edition ties into the November 6 nationwide release of Richard Kelly’s (Donnie Darko) The Box, starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden and adapted from the first story in this collection, “Button, Button.” Some of these tales are just plain weird—e.g., “The Creeping Terror” tells of a fungus growing in Los Angeles that threatens to turn the planet into a grot—and require an experienced reader who knows when to insert humor and when to ramp up the horror. Grover Gardner does just that, holding listeners in thrall as he brings to life the quirky characters populating the often squirmy plotlines. » » »

—Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA

Xpress Reviews

Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books
Anita Diamant's Day After Night, George Carlin's Last Words, Max Brooks's The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, and more reviews just in! » » »

Highlights

The Future of Reading
Readers, not books, are the library’s true brand, and as reading changes with the development of ebooks, downloadable audio, and other tech advancements yet to come, librarians, says Tom Peters, "need to be advocates and even evangelists for new forms of reading." » » »

Google Scholar’s Ghost Authors
Academic Peter Jacso argues that Google Scholar is a dud for evaluating publishing productivity and asserts that Google’s use of cut-rate metadata instead of the good stuff provided by publishers is the culprit. » » »

Music for the Masses: Tropicália: Alegria, Alegria!
Matthew Moyer provides a primer on this branch of Brazilian music combining traditional bossa nova with folk and the British Invasion. » » »

Reference Q&A: Lynne Rienner—Just the Facts, Ma’am
LJ Reference Editor Mirela Roncevic chats with indie-publisher Lynn Rienner, who offers a sneak peek at the forthcoming three-volume Encyclopedia of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. » » »

African America Celebrates
A roundup of 130 titles covering the arts, biography, education, history, religion, sports, and much more to have on hand for next February’s Black History Month. » » »