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The article reports on readers' advisory services which suggest books based on tattoos of library users. it mentions several libraries who have started such programs, the use of the tattoos and the stories behind them to suggest books, and the libraries' plans to continue their programs.

The article discusses the author's views about how American libraries can lead the effort to combat fake news as of 2017, and it mentions media literacy in the U.S., as well as the ways that librarians can assist library patrons in accessing accurate information. According to a 2016 research report, a majority of adults in the U.S. receive their news in real time from online social media websites and services. Journalists in America are also assessed.

The article offers news briefs related to American libraries as of March 2006. Flooding at Yale University's Sterling Memorial Library in New Haven, Connecticut, damaged some 3,000 books and a valuable collection of Cambodian newspapers that document the nation's genocide during the 1970s. Ongoing patron-behavior woes during after-school hours have prompted officials of the Wickliffe Public Library in Ohio to ban visits between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. from youngsters under 14 unless accompanied by an adult or enrolled in a library program.

The article talks about the worth of libraries. Every library employee should know three crucial things about the library's host system: its missions, its structure and its history. It states that policies establishing unfiltered access to Internet resources for children brought into question the common notion of public libraries being good for children. While all library users should receive the same open, friendly, excellent service, some need to be kept fully satisfied all the time.

Features stories regarded as the real measures of the success of librarians. Role of the Vancouver Public Library in fulfilling the dying request of a patron's friend; Efforts of a librarian to help Patricia Cook receive her first reading achievement certificate; Importance for librarians to draw the connections between the statistics they report and the lives of their community members. INSETS: Geting the Word Out;The Power of a Few Visits.

The article discusses therapy dogs, emotional support dogs, service dogs and their presence in libraries. Emphasis is given to topics such as requirements for identifying service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act, sensitivity to the fears and allergies of library patrons, and the use of dogs ion library programs.

Reports on the crisis being faced by public libraries in Great Britain that could make them unused and irrelevant by 2020 according to a report released by business analyst Tim Coates entitled "Who's in Charge?" Percentage decline in library usage in the past 10 years; Rise of the national cost of public library service; Reaction of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals to the report.

Presents updates on information technology and libraries in the United States as of December 2003. Explanation that the adoption by public libraries in the U.S. of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology poses no problem for the privacy of library users; Information on library systems that are good for the use of public libraries; Web support to bibliographic identifiers.

Explains that the increasing number of seniors visiting public libraries in the United States poses a number of challenges to librarians. Reason for the increase in the number seniors in the country; Sociological and psychological conditions of seniors which librarians must take into account in their interaction with them; Suggestions on how should librarians deal with senior patrons. INSET: Health Challenges for Seniors.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "The Price of Patronage," by Jennifer Dewey in the Nov/Dec 2014 issue.

Discusses how restraints on children's library access have created controversy in Illinois and Massachusetts. Proposal by the Oak Lawn, Illinois, Public Library Board to restrict the access of children ages 13 and under from adult library material; Decision to rescind the proposal; Protest in Andover, Massachusetts by youngsters demanding freedom to use the entire library, not just the children's room.

The article focuses on news delivery in a public library in Herning, Denmark, which opened in August 2009. Tomas Hemmer-Hansen, manager of the library, said that their main focus is news from around the world and each day, they hunt for information that they believe would be needed by their users. The library is equipped with wall mounted television that shows news broadcast from around the world, which limit its sound to a small area so not to disturb other users. A wireless Internet connection and six notebook computers are also found in the library.

The author reflects on the relationship of gaming and literacy. He says that he fully supported gaming due to its link to literacy, which one of his advocacy message for 2009 as American Libraries Association president. He adds that gaming is not only designed for teens as evidenced by the initiative of the Old Bridge, New Jersey Public Library when they used it to introduce computer literacy to adult users. He cites that the reason he is a strong proponent of gaming is because he wanted kids to be literate and use the public library for whatever reason.

A photograph of the Crutcher family, who are greeted with balloons for checking out the 10-millionth item from the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio is presented.

The article reports that the Fayetteville (Arkansas) Public Library has reached the one million mark in terms of number of book checkouts at the library. The library issued its millionth item of 2008 to patron and major donor Jim Blair on December 26, 2008. By early December, staff realized the library would top one million checkouts and began closely monitoring numbers. Blair, who provided the largest private donation for Fayetteville's Blair Library has borrowed "Faubus: The Life and Times of an American Prodigal," by Roy Reed.

The article reports that the Williamsburg (Ohio) Regional Library has screened the January 20, 2009 inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama in its theater space. Patrons of the library like Michelle Green enjoyed the historic moment with her friend Cynthia McGrath. They were among thousands of people who flocked to public and academic libraries across the country to witness the event among community members.

The article reports that photojournalist Todd Mizener recently took 156 black-and-white images of library patrons holding their favorite books to celebrate the opening of Moline, Illinois Public Library's new facility. The results were put on display at the library and are viewable online at qconline.com/multimedia/MyFavoriteBook/.

The article reports on the increase in the number of visits to public libraries in the U.S. between 1994 and 2004, according to data released by the American Library Association (ALA). Data from the 2007 State of America's Libraries report states that there were nearly two billion visits to U.S. libraries in fiscal year 2004. The report adds that virtually every U.S. library provides free public computer access to the Internet.

This article discusses the use of podcasting by U.S. libraries to reach their patrons. Some libraries are starting to use podcasting to empower teenage patrons. Other libraries are also working to engage teenagers in creative web-based endeavors. Denver Public Library in Colorado sponsored a contest where teenagers would create videos on YouTube about how they had fun at the library.

The author looks at the changes in how libraries are being used by patrons since the 1960s. Prior to the 1960s, the author asserts that the public library was an institution devoted to reading, research and study in an atmosphere of peace and quiet. However, in the modern decade, more patrons came to the library to access the Internet, work on computers and pick up DVD than to check out books, as observed by the author.

The article reports on the decision of the Worcester Public Library board of directors to permit homeless patrons to check out as many books as patrons with permanent addresses. The decision followed a class action lawsuit filed by the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts and the American Civil Liberties Union accusing that the library's borrowing policies were unfair.

This article presents data and information related to library in the Iowa. 156,000 is the total number of visitors to Des Moines Public Library's new downtown facility between April 8 and June 28, 2006. 194,163 is the population of Des Moines, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 population estimate. 78 is the percentage of library users who say that their local libraries use money well--Long Overdue: A Fresh Look at Public Attitudes about Libraries in the 21st Century, a research study published by Public Agenda in June.

The article presents the author's personal experience during the last day of evacuation at the Robert E. Smith Regional Branch of New Orleans Public Library in New Orleans, Louisiana. During the evacuation, hurricane emergency and safety pamphlets were distributed to library patrons. The responses of library staff were at first non-compliant with the evacuation procedure. After the hurricane, damages to libraries were evaluated through online source.

The article reports on the reaction of the Dallas Homeless Neighborhood Association to the patron behavior policy implemented by the Dallas Public Library in Texas. James Waghorne, president of the neighborhood association, opposes the rule. Leslie Burger, president-elect of the American Library Association, supports the policy of the Dallas Public Library.

Reports on the full-color books representing Dewey subject areas that were added to the bookshelves of the Public Library of Oakland, California in 2005. Amount of the state grant received by the library; Library patrons who will benefit from the pictograms.

Reports on the revelation by the city officials in Scottsdale, Arizona, that the Scottsdale Public Library shared patron records with a federal grand jury on three occasions in the spring of 2004. Reason for the compliance of the library to share patron records; Incident which led to the public knowledge of the subpoenas; Reaction by American Library Association President Michael Gorman to the issue.

Presents a narrative of the author's experience with two of the poorest patrons using the author's library's financial resources section. Impact of the proposed privatization of Social Security on public libraries in the U.S.; Questions commonly asked by patrons using the financial resources section; Interest shown by library patrons in financial matters; Shock at the discovery of the true financial wealth of these two particular patrons.

Reports on the contract approved by Illinois' Naperville Public Library board on May 18, 2005 with a local technology firm to install biometric scanners on its public Internet computers. Information on how the U.S. Biometrics AccessQ fingerprint-identification technology works; Findings of the Naperville police on how library patrons use of their library cards.

Presents news related to library and censorship in the U.S. as of June 2006. Passage of a resolution asking public libraries to confine homosexually-themed books and other age-inappropriate material to areas exclusively for adult access and distribution in Oklahoma; Resolution of the Hillsborough County Commission in Florida to modify the DVD acquisition policy of Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System; Decision of the Public library of Enid and Garfield County, Oklahoma to ban library patrons from using chat rooms.

Comments on the importance of patron privacy in libraries in the U.S. Move of the Whatcom County Library in Washington to resist the efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to secure records of everyone who had checked out a book about Osama Bin Laden; Extent of protecting the privacy of people who use libraries in the country; Assertion on the need for libraries to protect the freedom of the country at all costs.

Presents news related to censorship and public libraries in the U.S. as of October 2003. Compliance of libraries with the Children' Internet Protection Act; Issuance of an advisory letter by the law firm of Ropes and Gray regarding libraries legal obligations under the law; Decision of the Bloomington Public Library in Illinois to lift its restriction barring patrons under 18 from borrowing videos or DVD.

A survey by the Library Research Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that librarians are sharply divided over how to respond to law-enforcement requests for patron records. "Public Libraries and Civil Liberties: A Profession Divided" shows that only 49% of the 444 libraries asked by law enforcement to voluntarily provide information about patron reading habits and Internet preferences cooperated; the remainder did not. Only 10% of the 906 libraries that responded to the survey have changed patron Internet-use policies in response to USA Patriot Act provisions that simplify the process that allows agents to gain access to library records. The survey also revealed that in the past year federal and local law-enforcement agents visited 545 libraries to ask for patron records; of these, 178 were visits from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). However, these numbers may be low because the act makes it illegal for anyone to disclose that a search warrant was served. Almost 60% of those polled said they thought this secrecy provision was an abridgement of First Amendment rights. Some librarians consider Internet sign-up sheets to be public records that do not require a search warrant.

Discusses events that occurred in libraries during 1917. Removal of all German-language books from the shelves of the San Francisco Public Library in California during World War I; Anti-German sentiments at public libraries across the U.S.; Publication by the Lebanon Public Library in Indiana during 1987 of a list of borrowers with overdue books; How events demonstrate that the library community's response to challenges against patron confidentiality have not been consistent.

Focuses on the joy of electronic library service, according to several librarians in the U.S. Idea that service to the underserved is a special joy as Marian H. Griffin of West Melbourne Public Library in Florida indicated; Comment of Kelly Martinez of Hermiston Public Library in Oregon about families using the library; Rationale of the Kalamazoo Public Library in Michigan for downloading audio books; Others.

Features the program of the South Brunswick (New Jersey) Public Library which is aimed at increasing patronage. Brainchild of librarian Bachubhai Desai.

Discusses the ruling by a federal judge that a New Jersey public library's policies regulating the behavior and hygiene of patrons is unconstitutional. Details of the ruling by United State's District Court Judge H. Lee Sarokin which involved a man named Richard Kreimer at the Free Public Library of Morristown and Morris Township; Opposition and support by various library groups on the issue.

Presents news briefs on libraries nationwide. Booming patron demand at Johnson County (Kansas) Library; Fund raising success at Riverside (California) City and County Public Library; Library celebrations; Expansion of libraries; New library circulation systems; Information on grant and research fellowship applications; Others.

Discusses ways that library users make inferences about the effectiveness of library collections, when entering a library for the first time. Methods that librarians often use; What the author looks for when entering academic libraries and public libraries; Views of librarians.