Generations Updated

My daughter sent me this link (click the title of this entry) to Kate Zernike's New York Times article, "Generation OMG." It does appear that the coming-of-age Millennials are facing tougher times as they enter the world's workforce. But what struck me was the generation still at home, born after 2000. One name proposed for them has been the "Homelanders" -- born in the post-911 world, and so even more obsessively protected than the Millennials. The works of Howe and Strauss continue to hold up for me, their notion of the generational dynamic as a reliable predictor of social moods.

All of which seems to suggest the sort of hunkering down we see everywhere: caution, restricting expenditures, and slowly starting to rediscover the value of the public sector.

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Uncle Bobby's Wedding

Recently, a library patron challenged (urged a reconsideration of the ownership or placement of) a book called "Uncle Bobby's Wedding." Honestly, I hadn't even heard of it until that complaint. But I did read the book, and responded to the patron, who challenged the item through email and requested that I respond online (not via snail-mail) about her concerns. I suspect the book will get a lot of challenges in 2008-2009. So I offer my response, purging the patron's name, for other librarians. Uncle Bobby's wedding June 27, 2008 Dear Ms. Patron: Thank you for working with my assistant to allow me to fit your concerns about “Uncle Bobby's Wedding,” by Sarah S. Brannen, into our “reconsideration” process. I have been assured that you have received and viewed our relevant policies: the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read, Free Access to Libraries for Minors, the Freedom to View, and our Reconsideration Policy. The intent of providing all tha...

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