The American Library Associations Response to the USA PATRIOT Act

Hi this is Jill - I'd forgotten some of the other topics people had chosen - it's been fun to go through and see them again!  There are some really interesting topics!

Coolidge, Katherine K. ""Baseless Hysteria": The Controversy between the Department of Justice and the American Library Association over the USA PATRIOT ACT." Law Library Journal 97 (2005): 7-29. 22 Feb. 2005. Education; Library and Information Science. Wilson Web. UW Madison, Madison. 14 Oct. 2008. Keyword: USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and American Library Association. The controversy between the American Library Association and the Department of Justice pertaining to the USA PATRIOT Act is examined in this article. Ms. Coolidge asserts that both Attorney General John Ashcroft and the American Library Association took their arguments on the issue to the extreme. Ms. Coolidge suggests that both sides must work together to find a balance where individuals have both privacy and security.


"What to do before, during and after a "knock at the door?"" Guidelines for Librarians on the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act. 19 Jan. 2002. American Library Association. 14 Oct. 2008 . The American Library Association issued this document to suggest guidelines to follow in the event a law enforcement authority requests access to patron records. There are guidelines for before, during and after any request is made. A statement at the beginning of the document makes it very clear that these guidelines are not legal advice but merely suggestions for libraries of all types.

Has new technology in golf ruined the game?

Forsyth, Paul “Weiskopf slams rule-makers for ignoring March of technology” Scotland on Sunday July 4, 2004, Sunday

Tom Weiskopf expresses his desire to stop the changes in technology in golf. Mr. Weiskopf says “There are so many great courses in the world, including Loch Lomond, and the shame is that they will have to be changed.” Mr. Weiskopf continues to defend the fitness of the pros of yesterday and those of today, expressing that technology is the only factor that is causing the need for this change. Mr. Weiskopf also believes that the golf ball could be brought under control in competition like in tennis. They could slow the ball down as they have done in Wimbledon.

Harrison, David “”Wonder” golf ball’s extra yards outrages the purists” Sunday Telegraph (London) January 28, 2001, Sunday

Mr. Peter Dawson, secretary of the R&A argues the nature of the game would be changed and that many of the courses would be forced to close. He continue to explain the changes in the golf ball technologies and their distances over the years. He believes the game will become a driver and a putter challenge.

Grange, Michael “The drive to make golf more low-tech” The Globe and Mail (Canada) June 18, 2005 Saturday

This article centers on a throwback player , Todd Hamilton, and how is able to compete with others that are using the new technology. This article describes the changes in driving distance since 1985 to 2003. Mr. Frank Thomas, now a technical advisor to Golf Digest, talks about the limits of golf ball technology and how he feels that limit has been reached.

Peters, Glen “Today’s game is dull and predictable “ New Straits Times (Malaysia) July 1, 2001

An interview of five-time British Open champion, Peter Thompson, explains his opinions on state of the game. He comments on the changes in the turf and it’s condition have made on the game of golf. Mr. Thompson also expresses his opinion on the golf ball and how something will have to be done to control the distance that it can fly.

My topic is the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment

I used Chicago Humanities style.


Atkinson, M. “Fifty million viewers can't be wrong: professional wrestling, sports-entertainment, and nemesis.” Sociology of Sport Journal, vol. 19 issue 1 (2002): p. 47-66. SPORTDiscus, EBSCOhost (accessed November 7, 2008).

Atkinson looks at professional wrestling from the viewpoint of how it differs from non-scripted sports and how popular it has become. The main point is that the wrestlers are physical actors and the outcomes of the matches are predestined. Atkinson describes how each of the wrestlers has their own personality that they are supposed to portray. It also discusses how it was once viewed as a legitimate sport but it was disclosed that the outcomes of the matches were determined before the matches took place.

Campbell, Colin. “Our Chairman Was Murdered (Wink Wink).” Maclean's, July 9, 2007, p51-51, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 5, 2008).

This article discusses how World Wrestling Entertainment staged a television show in which the owner of World Wrestling Entertainment, Vince McMahon, was to have his limousine explode and how it affected the perception of what is television and what is real. It says that no damage was done to the stock price after the staged death of the character Mr. McMahon.

Hart, Martha and Eric Francis. Broken Harts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart. New York: M. Evans and Company, 2002.

This book was written by the widow of a wrestler, Owen Hart, who died in the wrestling ring after a 70 foot fall. Broken Harts looks at the circumstances of his death and how the World Wrestling Federation handled it. Martha Hart also explains her lawsuit against Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation for negligence in the death of her husband.

McMahon. DVD. 2-Disc Collector’s Edition. Stamford, CT: World Wrestling Entertainment, 2006.

Vince McMahon created the World Wrestling Federation from a small company he bought from his father and brought into national prominence and this DVD tells his story from his point of view and the point of view of his colleagues. McMahon’s family is also interviewed on the DVD and they give a more personal viewpoint of how he does business. It explains how Vince McMahon became a character in the World Wrestling Federation. Mr. McMahon, the character, is an over the top version of himself.





Piper, “Rowdy” Roddy. In The Pit With Piper. New York: Berkley Boulevard Books, 2002.

Roddy Rowdy Piper was a wrestler for the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980’s and he saw the company rise to become the premier wrestling company in the world and then he left to become part of World Championship Wrestling. He watched the World Wrestling Federation’s ratings fall as he talks about in his book. One point he made was his growing dissatisfaction with the World Wrestling Federation during his career. Piper states that he was angry that he did not get the same salary as Hulk Hogan, another prominent wrestler during the time Piper was in the World Wrestling Federation.

Similarities & Differences Between the Vietnam War & Iraq War

Bennett, Drake. “Where’s the Protest?” The Boston Globe 5 November 2006: D1.


This lengthy article reports that, according to poll numbers, the Iraq War is as unpopular as the Vietnam War was in the late 60’s. The author then questions why there aren’t any large scale protests like there were over the Vietnam War. He explores several possible explanations for this. The first is that, unlike the Vietnam War, there isn’t a military draft today. The second reason might be that many who are against the war use the internet to do their protesting. Lastly, the author says it’s possible that the public will show their displeasure with the war by exercising their right to vote.


Cavanaugh, Jeffrey M. "From the 'Red Juggernaut' to Iraqi WMD: Threat Inflation and How It
Succeeds in the United States." Political Science Quarterly 122.4 (2007): 555-584.


The author of this article argues that in both the Iraq War and Vietnam War, there was threat inflation. He outlines several causes for this which include what he calls “strong trigger events” along with an atmosphere of secrecy and the President’s command of the security bureaucracies. The author also suggests reforms that should be made to prevent this from happening in the future.


Muller, Bobby. “A Broken Contract.” America 196.19 (2007): 9-10,12.


The author of this article compares the services that wounded soldiers returning from Iraq receive to the services that were received by wounded Vietnam soldiers. As a wounded Vietnam veteran, the author presents a unique, first-hand view. He argues that Vietnam veterans were at a disadvantage because Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was not recognized at that time and that, although it is recognized today, the returning soldiers still aren’t receiving the care they need and deserve.


Schuman, Howard, and Amy D. Corning. "Comparing Iraq to Vietnam: Recognition, Recall, and
the Nature of Cohort Effects." Public Opinion Quarterly 70.1 (2006): 78-87.


This article presents the results of a survey conducted in 2004 and 2005 in which the respondents were asked whether the Iraq War is more like the Vietnam War or World War II. The results are analyzed in terms of age, gender, race, geographic region, education, and party identification.

How E-journal use has taken over print journal use especially in academic libraries

Schonfeld, Roger C., Fenton, Eileen Gifford. Digital Savings. Library Journal v. 130 no. 4 (March 1, 2005) p 50-51.

In this article, Donald W. King from University of Pittsburgh and Ann Okerson from Yale, decided back in 2003 to learn more about how the cost of transitioning to electronic journal use is affecting the libraries. They focused on 11 academic libraries and focused on the non-subscription cost, such as, staff time, computer workstations, binding and maintenance of the space they have available. They discovered that on a per title basis, the non-subscription costs of e-journals are lower than that of print journals.


Schonfeld, Roger C., King, Donald W.,Okerson, Ann, Fenton, Eileen Gifford. Library Periodical Expenses: Comparison of Non-subscription Costs of Print and Electronic Formats on a Life-Cycle Basis. D-Lib Magazine v. 10 no. 1 (Jan 2004) p. 1-14

This article ties in with the Digital Savings article above. It is a full report on the authors findings of what the implications are of transitioning to electronic journals on non-subscription library costs. This article also discusses the need for an acceptable archiving solution for electronic publications. There is an effort to learn how this transition to electronic journals will affect the higher education community's ability to offer long term availability of electronic journals.

O'Hara, Lisa Hanson. Providing Access to Electronic Journals in Academic Libraries: A General Survey. The Serials Librarian v. 51 nos. 3/4 (2007) pgs. 119-128

A survey carried out in November of 2005, shows how academic libraries are providing access to electronic journals. This survey asked questions about electronic journals in the library catalog, a web-based list of electronic journals on academic library websites, and newer technologies such as OpenURL resolvers, metasearch engines, and Google Scholar.

Fenton, Eileen Gifford, Schonfeld, Roger C., Bakker, Trix. The Transitional Period of the Periodicals Format Shift. Liber Quarterly: The Journal of European Research Libraries v. 14 nos. 1-4 (2004) p. 368-379

This article is an overview of the transitional period between an all-print and all-electronic collection and to focus on this important period in which libraries now find themselves. The libraries included in this study range from academic libraries in the United States to the largest research universities, to medium-sized universities, to small liberal-arts colleges. This is a group of libraries that are diverse in terms of size, research intensity, affiliation, and degree of commitment to electronic resources.

Li, Xiaoli, Kopper, Carolyn. Cancellation of Print Journals in the Electronic Era: A Case Study. Against the Grain v. 17 no. 6 (Dec 2005/Jan 2006) p. 1,18-21

This article discusses a large print cancellation project done by the Health Sciences Libraries at the University of California-Davis in 2004 and 2005. The two specialized libraries are the Carson Health Sciences Library (CHSL) and the UCD Medical Center Library in Sacramento (MCL). These libraries are part of the General Library of UC Davis and also part of the system of libraries at the University of California, which does include the California Digital Library (CDL). These two libraries have a unique situation in regards to conducting cancellation projects. This uniqueness is one part of the significant influence the availability of electronic journals had on the cancellation of print journals.

How new technology in golf ruined the game?

Here are a couple of the citations that really explain this issues. Has the new technology made the game too easy?

Golf & the Business Life [Special report]. Business Week no. 3885 (May 31 2004) p. GD1-GD23

A special section on the effect technology is having on golf. Articles discuss the effect on private clubs of having increasingly tech-savvy members, golf instructors' use of the Web, improvements in golfing equipment, Tiger Woods's new driver, the work of golf-course designer Herb Kohler, and golfing-related gadgets.

Kramer, S. State of the game: technology. Golf Magazine v. 41 no. 10 (October 1999) p. 142-6+

The writer describes how technology has altered golf equipment and instruction, examines why technological improvements have not reduced golfers' scores, and discusses opposition to modern technology.

Sens, J. The Quest for 300 Yards. Golf Magazine v. 50 no. 7 (July 2008) p. 94-6, 98, 100

The writer discusses his attempts to achieve a 300-yard drive using three approaches: steroids, technology, and technique. He explains that he achieved his goal when Tyler Ferrell, a trainer at the ClubGolf Performance Center in Maryland, instructed him to use the power of his hips more.

Webb, M. The Duke of Hazards [Interview with Prince Andrew]. Golf Magazine v. 46 no. 7 (July 2004) p. 179

Part of a special section on the 2004 British Open. In an interview, England's Prince Andrew discusses such topics as his year as captain of the Royal & Ancient (R&A), his work on the R&A's Amateur Status Committee, and his fears over the advances of technology in the game.

Benifits of Audiobooks

Here are some selected annotated citations regarding the benefits of audiobooks; I used APA for my citations. Thanks in advance for your comments! ~Morgan

Benefits for adult students
Fox. R.E. (2004, Winter). Do audiobooks belong in academic libraries? Georgia Library Quarterly, 40(4), pp.9-11.
As the director of the academic library in Georgia with the largest audiobook collection in the University System of Georgia, the author of this article set out to determine whether other universities in that system also had a significant collection of this material. Once determining this, he interviewed librarians at institutions with many audiobooks, and those with few or none. This research process was in an effort to determine if these materials have a place in an academic collection. Fox’s conclusion: there is a place for audiobooks in a post-secondary collection because they supplement any popular fiction that might be in the library’s print collection, provide alternative materials to ESL students, and draw otherwise reluctant library users into the building.

Maughan, S. (2004, August 2). How do you say…? Publisher’s Weekly, 251(310), pp. 18-19.
This article presents an overview of various audio based self-instructive language learning products available from major publishers such as Simon and Schuster, Random House, Barron’s, McGraw-Hill Professional, and many others. Each publisher’s line of products is discussed, with particular attention paid to what format (audio only, audio with print, audio with video, etc) each is produced in and how each format assists the language learning process. The author then goes on to examine the populations who make use of these materials, and comes to the conclusion that these populations are quite diverse (college and high school students, immigrants, older individuals, and many others). The article concludes by discussing the popularity of the materials from various vendors in a range of retail environments.

Benefits for adult individuals with disabilities
Cylke, F. K. (2002). Building a National Service in a Multilingual Environment. Ocho Rios, Jamaica: Association of Caribbean Research and Institutional Libraries.
As part of the “Accommodating All” conference sponsored by two library associations, F.K. Cylke (director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) wrote this overview concerning the methods the Library of Congress uses to provide services to its patrons. He provides a brief history of this service as well as describing how it is funded, eligibility requirements, and materials contained in the collection (including talking books). Cylke then moves onto the “meat” of his paper: how is the NLS serving its patrons who are not fluent in English? He describes several answers to this question. The collection of this service includes materials in fifty-four languages. Many of these items are produced by the NLS. Also, associated state agencies with patrons desiring materials in specific languages are producing or acquiring them on their own. On another level, NLS translates its publications (such as newsletters, catalogs and application forms) into Spanish and employs Spanish speaking readers’ advisers. Finally, Cylke provides examples of how the NLS is collaborating with similar agencies in other countries in an effort to improve international services to individuals who have visual or physical disabilities.

Morgan, G. (2003). A word in your ear: library services for print disabled readers in the digital age. The Electronic Library, 21(3), pp. 234-239.
As part of the conclusion of this article, the author states, “People who are sighted and literate can choose to listen to an audiobook. Those to whom print is inaccessible rely on the format or formats they can actually use.” In order to make this statement, Morgan gives a brief history of the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind (RNZFB) and its services to visually disabled individuals in New Zealand. As part of this section, the author explains the difficulties that analogue talking books can present patrons of the RNZFB due to the fact that these products are linear and not structured He then explains how the advent of talking books in digital format, specifically those in the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) will assist visually impaired individuals in experiencing books in a way that is much closer to their sighted peers.

Benefits for general population of adults
Aron, H. (1992, November). Bookworms become tapeworms: A profile of listeners to books on audiocassette. Journal of Reading, 36(3), pp. 208-212.
The main focus of this article (as indicated by its subtitle) is to determine who reads audiobooks. To determine this, the author sent a survey to individuals who purchased these materials from one production company (Books-on-Tape Inc). She asked questions such as age, gender, level of education, income, and number of books read in print form in the last year. She then went on to query respondents regarding their reasons for listening to audiobooks. One main response was the ability to use time efficiently and read while completing other tasks (and thus read more books); other rationales included the access of individuals with physical disabilities or others who have difficulty reading, the fact that audiobooks add value to the text, and encouraging individuals to try new genres or authors. The author also asked respondents to list any disadvantages; examples of answers to this query included the inability to skim or re-read passages and the physical advantages of a physical book (no need for a machine to play the book, ability to make notes, appearance of pictures, maps, etc). The author concludes her evaluation by stating that, “books on audiocassette are not contributing to the dumbing down of America”

Yingling, J. (1998, July). A study of audiobook users at the Salem, Ohio Public Library.
For his master’s thesis, John Yingling surveyed patrons at the public library in Salem, Ohio. He asked them about their preferences regarding abridged versus unabridged titles, their favored genres of audiobooks, and whether they use the library’s other collections and/or service. The author also asked for demographic information from survey participants in order to determine who is listening to audiobooks. In addition to presenting his results, the author also hypothesized why the trends appeared as they did. For example, Yingling states patrons favor unabridged audiobooks because users of audiobooks are typically over the age of forty and are therefore accustomed to reading/listening to books in their complete form. The author also provides a summary and analysis of his findings as a whole, as well as a review of literature on the topic of audiobook use in public libraries.