Re: [ha-Safran] Bookless libraries
Should we panic that our libaries lack scrolls? Can you imagine a good library without any scrolls? What about tablets (the small clay ones with squiggling staff scratched on them - probably what Avraham used to use)? Aaron This is not an official policy statement from my employer (which, BTW, does have both scrolls and tablets though we do lack native speakers of sumerian to help catalog them). On Wed, 23 Jan 2013, Rachel Haus wrote: I read the article, as well as the couple comments below it and one really resonated. While it seems as if everyone has a updated computer, tablet, etc, not everyone does because not everyone can afford one. Our family of 5 currently shares a single computer because we cannot afford more. While we migtht save up for an extra computer, what about the family with far more limited resources? ? The comment made at the end of the article suggested that those without the means for technology might love to read at home, but would be out of luck should all reading material?be converted to digital form. Tablets might be lent out, but small libraries in small communities like mine can't possibly afford even to offer ebooks, let alone to invest in tablets. I see a disturbing class divide here?for basic access to knowledge. Rachel Haus Library Director Congregation of Moses Library Kalamazoo MI rhaus_...@yahoo.com From: Emily Goldberg exgoldb...@gmail.com To: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:39 PM Subject: [ha-Safran] Bookless libraries An interesting article: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/bookmarks/2013/01/libraries_go_mostly_bookless.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2 Is this the future for Jewish libraries, particularly synagogue libraries? Emily Goldberg Mowshowitz Library Hillcrest Jewish Center Flushing, NY exgoldb...@gmail.com __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Aaron Wolfe Kuperman Library of Congress, ABA USPL, Law Cataloging Section This is NOT an official communication from the Library of Congress. __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Re: [ha-Safran] new book: Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary
Does this dictionary include words from the living Yiddish used in several ultra-Orthodox communities (largely in Brooklyn, the Hudson River Valley and in Israel)? In these places where there are still plenty of children who speak Yiddish as a first language, new vocabulary is most likely to be introduced, and in all fairness most resources for Yiddish language reflect an increasing extinct secularized version of the language that died out in the middle of the 20th century. --Aaron On Wed, 23 Jan 2013, Sukenic, Harvey wrote: I'm posting this for a friend: Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary Solon Beinfeld and Harry Bochner, Editors-in-Chief. Indiana University Press, cloth 978-0-253-00983-8 $45.00 ebook 978-0-253-00988-3 $38.99 Including over 37,000 entries compiled by a team of expert Yiddish linguists, Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary surpasses all its predecessors in the number of words and rich selection of idioms, examples of usage, and coverage of stylistic levels and dialect forms. The user-friendly entries include words for standard and literary as well as contemporary colloquial and conversational usage and a wide range of terms from all sources of Yiddish, including those of Hebraic-Aramaic, Slavic, and Romance as well as Germanic origin. The lexical corpus comes directly from the highly acclaimed Dictionnaire Yiddish- Fran?ais by Yitskhok Niborski and Bernard Vaisbrot, published by the Biblioth?que Medem in Paris in 2002. Augmented by an extensive user's guide, this volume is an indispensable resource for students, teachers, translators, and readers of Yiddish. Solon Beinfeld taught modern European and modern Jewish history at Washington University in St. Louis and has translated extensively from Yiddish, most recently The Last Jew of Treblinka by Chil Rajchman. Harry Bochner, a linguist and Yiddishist, is author of Simplicity in Generative Morphology. To order go to the website -- www.iupress.indiana.edu -- or phone 1-800-842-6796. Here is a link to the online website: http://verterbukh.org/project.html If you have specific questions, contact Harry Bochner at hboch...@post.harvard.edu . Harvey Sukenic Hebrew College Library hsuke...@hebrewcollege.edu Aaron Wolfe Kuperman Library of Congress, ABA USPL, Law Cataloging Section This is NOT an official communication from the Library of Congress. __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Re: [ha-Safran] CE/BCE vs BC/AD
One can always write a macro to switch back and forth. Aaron Wolfe Kuperman Library of Congress, ABA USPL, Law Cataloging Section This is NOT an official communication from the Library of Congress. __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
[ha-Safran] Square pegs, round holes, and six-pointed stars (was: Re: Mishna Berurah)
Even when cataloging materials from relatively related legal systems, such as the Anglo-American Common Law, and the Roman-based Civil Law, many problems arise (and this is what I do most of the day, Hebrew is a sideline for me). However Jewish law, and Jewish publishing in general, don't follow the same publishing patterns. The title page is probably a less reliable course among traditional (what some call rabbinical) publishers. And this is before we thinking about personal names, since many traditional authors haven't fully bought into the idea of using surnames consistently. Furthermore, even among non-Jewish publishers, publishing patterns are breaking up in the age of online self-publishing. I recently had a problem with an American lawbook where the author confused a pseudonym with a festscrift - LC eventually set up the NAF for author based on the name of the person he was honoring, since that was on the title page, and disregarded what the author clearly stated at the book's website, not mention the about the author page. Perhaps reflecting that I am first of all a subject cataloger, I would suggest we should focus less on a preferred source of information, and more on the substance (which means, horror of horror for a descriptive cataloger - opening the book to see what comes after the t.p.). In a related example, we often make an added entry for Karo's Shulhan Arukh or a part thereof (e.g. Hoshen Mishpat), based on the t.p. (our holy of holies under descriptive rules), when in the fact the book is actually a treatise whose subject matter is defined by those aspects of Jewish law covered by the original Shulhan Arukh (by the Tur, several centuries before Karo was born). We should limit treatment as a commentary to situations where the author is discussing textual analysis (where did Karo get this from, how do Karo and Isserles compare), but not for works that are presenting the authors take on the subject. A similar situation exist for the treatment of Justinian's Corpus Iuris Civilis which has come to define what civil law is, and is not, throughout the Civil law (meaning other than common law) countries - and we only use commentary treatment for works analyzing the text, and use a subject heading (Civil law) for works on contemporary's authors treatments of the subjects defined by Justinian's code. By this standard, the Mishnah Brurah would probably be entered under the Hafets Hayyim, with a 7xx analytical for the Shulhan Arukh's Orach hayyim, and a 650 heading for Orach hayyim (which doesn't exist, though I did set up an equivalent for Hoshen Mishpat). Since the cataloging world as we know it is about to self-destruct, and hopefully be reborn, now might be a good time to rethink what we've been doing, and reconsider past practices that probably never were fully justified to begin with. Aaron Aaron Wolfe Kuperman Library of Congress, ABA USPL, Law Cataloging Section This is NOT an official communication from the Library of Congress. On Tue, 29 May 2012 chaim.seym...@mail.biu.ac.il wrote: Hallo all In response to my posting, Ms. Meira Harroch, Head of Hebrew Cataloging, Israeli National Library, sent me a private message and asked me to explain National library Policy to the list. Their decision is based on the structure of the title page. If the Mishnah Berurah appears first, then the main entry will be under the Hafetz Hayyim. Where the phrasing emphasizes the Shulhan Arukh, i.e Shulhan Arukh with the commentary Mishnah Berurah, then the heading will be under Caro. Chaim Chaim Seymour Head of Cataloging and Classification Wurzweiler Libary Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel, 52900 chaim.seym...@mail.biu.ac.il Tel: 972-3-5318127, Fax 972-3-7384065 Aaron Wolfe Kuperman Library of Congress, ABA USPL, Law Cataloging Section This is NOT an official communication from the Library of Congress. __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Re: [ha-Safran] Shomer Shabbat and Working in a Public Library
About thirty years ago I got hired by Brooklyn Public Library, possibly since I was very overqualified and they needed window dressing to avoid an anti-discrimination suit. When I left a few years later I had been about to sue for employment discrimination. While I didn't have the protecksia to get the frum legal aid groups to help, I did have a law degree, and besides a well documented case I had the testimony from several people who were told by a senior manager that the library policy was not to hire sabbath oberservers but that occasionally someone slipped up (the manager placed too much reliance in last names in deciding whom they could discuss this with). Mind you this was at a time before there were any openly orthodox (meaning with a yarmulke in public) Jews in the legislature or city council. Interestingly, as a new employee I met some old hands (retirees working as volunteers or part timers) who remember when the idea of any Jew working for the library was considered a scandal (this goes back 60+ years). In Brooklyn, the absence of Orthodox Jews on the staff, and the discrepency in offering service to neighborhoods with many Sabbath observers, probably could be shown to be proof of deliberate discrimination, if someone tries to sue (and remember, to a certain extent it would be suing secular Jews which poses political problems). As for me, the Library of Congress offered me a job with flexible hours at twice the pay, so, as lawyers would say, I met my obligation to mitigate damages, and decided to be a well paid cataloger instead of an underpaid reference librarian (which had been, and probably would still be, my preference, though my family would disagree). To a large extent, I still miss the idea of working in a place where the patrons look like me, at least in some cases, on the other hand, the first few years of my career were spent with a copy of the state and federal anti-discrimination laws always kept at my desk, and I haven't needed to consult them for the last 25 years. Aaron This is OBVIOUSLY not an official statement from my employer. On Fri, 11 May 2012, Basya Karp wrote: Almost six years ago, I applied for a position (at the urging of one of my adult children)?in the Brooklyn Public Library system.? I was invited for an interview, at which time?I informed the panel of librarians conducting it that I am shomer Shabbos.? They assured me it was not a problem, and I was offered a job (which I did not accept for reasons that seemed good at the time, even though I am since semi-regretting the decision).? Now that my position is being cut (and?I might be kept on for one day a week at a?very tiny salary) I wouldn't mind another chance. ? Mrs. Basya Karp, AMLS, Librarian Shulamith High School and Shulamith School For Girls of Brooklyn http://bookandagarden.com http://booklovinggrandma.wordpress.com ? Aaron Wolfe Kuperman Library of Congress, ABA USPL, Law Cataloging Section This is NOT an official communication from the Library of Congress. __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Re: [ha-Safran] Shomer Shabbat and Working in the Public Library
Where the library and union have rules that reserve Sunday for those with seniority, and require all to work on Saturday, they may be challenged in court. Both the union and the library could be charged with discrimination, especially in an area where Sabbath observant Jews are a noticable part of the population, meaning you can point to the discrepancy between the applicant pool and the local population versus the number of staff (e.g. the city is 5% Shomer Shabbos, the staff is 0%) If you have protektsia with your local politicians they can help. In all fairness, public library public services is in general a poor career choice for a sabbath observant Jew, unless you like litigation and are good friends with a lawyer (of Jewish legal aid group). I gave up after several years and settled down to be a cataloger and lived happily ever after (and never had to go back to keeping a copy of the civil rights laws and EEOC regs at my desk). Aaron Kuperman On Tue, 8 May 2012, Monchar, Leslie wrote: I have been seeking a position in a public library for over a year now, and not working on Friday nights and Saturdays is definitely a problem. My own local public library, which is open from 1-5PM on Sundays would not consider my application claiming some union (civil service) regulations. (Last hired get the least desirable shifts, and no one wants to work weekends). In fact, I was interviewed for some jobs which stated some weekend hours, and after the interview, the job ad was re-posted stating, some Saturdays required. There are just so many librarians and so few jobsI wish you the best of luck! Leslie Leslie Monchar, MLS Librarian Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School Livingston, NJ 07039 973-597-1115, ext. 1120 lmonc...@jkha.org -Original Message- From: hasafran-bounces+lmonchar=jkha@lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:hasafran-bounces+lmonchar=jkha@lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of agend...@publishersrow.com Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 3:08 PM To: 'abigail bacon'; hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: [ha-Safran] Shomer Shabbat and Working in the Public Library If working on Sunday is not a requirement (or if libraries are closed that day), then the requirement of working on Saturday (I really don't understand what it exactly means!) is in fact VERY MUCH discriminatory. Alex -Original Message- From: hasafran-boun...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:hasafran-boun...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of abigail bacon Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 1:38 PM To: hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu Subject: [ha-Safran] Shomer Shabbat and Working in the Public Library I'm going to be relocating shortly and I am interested in working in the public library system. Until now I have been in an academic library and have had no problems at all with shabbat or holidays. Is it possible for an Orthodox person in the NJ/NY area to work in the public library system? Here in Cincinnati and N. Kentucky, I was told that working on Saturdays is a requirement for all applicants, which is an allowable expectation because they are not discriminating against any specific religion. Thanks for chiming in (anecdotal evidence will be welcomed as well!) Avigaille Katz __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mail list .html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist .htm l AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mail list.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist .html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran
Re: [ha-Safran] Good news for books, bad news for Librarians
The only problems with the transition to ebooks from printed books are that at present most publishers don't want to sell to libraries and use a DRM system that prevents loans (but this will change in time), and that Orthodox Jews will still want printed books for Shabbos (based on past practices, I assume Conservative and Reform will have no trouble switching to something resembling tablets) - it would take a change to certain physical laws to produce a tablet that could be used without consuming energy. The DRM issue will probably settle itself since library users have a lot more protectsia than publishers, and a prolonged boycott of libraries by publishers would lead to changes in the copyright law that publishers wouldn't like. Of course the transition will be traumatic for some people, as was the switch from clay tablets to paper, or from manuscripts to printed books (in most Muslim countries the scribes managed to restrict use of printing so long that the countries went from 1st world to 3rd world). Physically, future libraries will probably look more like internet cafes. Aaron Aaron Wolfe Kuperman Library of Congress, ABA USPL, Law Cataloging Section This is NOT an official communication from the Library of Congress. On Mon, 9 Apr 2012, Amalia Warshenbrot wrote: Andrea Rapp is right, when designing libraries that will focus on programs and E-book collection the library should have less shelf space and a nice multi purpose social hall and story well for children. What type of technology will you recommend ? Amalia Warshenbrot Sent from my iPad On Apr 9, 2012, at 9:06 AM, Heather Lenson hlen...@jecc.org wrote: I do not think this is bad for librarians. Programming can still be emphasized including book clubs, story times for kids, etc. People still want reader???s advisories. E-book collections can be developed as well. - __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) == Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
