Latest Library Links
-
A StoryWalk in Abilene, Kansas, displays panels from the book Farmers and Ranchers Care about Their Animals by Dan Yunk on the windows of local businesses. The walk starts at a bank and ends at Abilene Public Library. Participants can answer a few questions at the end to receive a voucher for 1–2 pounds of Kansas-raised ground beef provided by Kohman Meats and Engle Family Farms. -
Noam Cohen writes: “In an aggressive move that is anything but sitting back, a panel of Wikipedia administrators in July declared that Fox News would no longer be considered ‘generally reliable’ in its reporting on politics and science, and in those areas ‘should be used with caution to verify contentious claims.’ (Fox News articles on other topics were unaffected.) There simply were too many examples of misleading, inaccurate, and slanted reporting about science and politics for Wikipedia to pass on Fox News articles as part of a broader search for the truth.” -
University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Libraries has launched a new online portal featuring more than 2,500 digitized letters, photographs, diaries, programs, recordings, and other artifacts chronicling the life of opera singer and civil rights activist Marian Anderson. The archive is drawn from the school’s extensive Marian Anderson Papers. -
Andrew Albanese writes: “As the pandemic continues to impact the country, Penguin Random House has announced that it is extending its temporary digital license terms for libraries through December 31, 2020. Under the terms of its temporary program, PRH is offering libraries the option to license ebooks and digital audio for one-year terms at a 50% prorated price as an alternative to the existing two-year term (for ebooks) or perpetual access (for digital audio). A cost-per-circulation model is also available.” -
Talia Evans, media relations specialist at Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library, writes: “As stay-at-home orders and social distancing recommendations were handed down as COVID-19 spread, the first thought on the minds of so many at KCPL was, ‘How can we still help our community?’ More importantly, what about those who rely on us for access to a computer and the internet? After figuring out the basics, the focus quickly shifted to the digital divide that exists in our city. Citywide, 13% of all homes don’t have a computer and 17% are without the internet. To start, we partnered with the Kansas City Public School District and Connecting For Good, an organization that accepts donations of computers and computer accessories.” -
Eva Galperin, David Greene, and Kurt Opsahl write: “It is ironic that, while purporting to protect America from China’s authoritarian government, President Trump is threatening to ban the TikTok app. Censorship of both speech and social media applications, after all, is one of the hallmarks of the Chinese Internet strategy. While there is significant cause for concern with TikTok’s security, privacy, and its relationship with the Chinese government, we should resist a governmental power to ban a popular means of communication and expression.” -
Suzanne LaPierre writes: “As indicated by the ALA’s response to the Black Lives Matter movement, libraries have an obligation to act on behalf of racial justice with genuine systemic change, not just statements or book lists. Hosting a book club on a topic that explicitly addresses race relations in the US is among the items on the ALA’s plan for action. One example is the Toledo Lucas County (Ohio) Public Library BLM Book Group, facilitated by King Branch Assistant Manager Franco Vitella and Teen Librarian David Bush. The first meeting was on July 30.” -
The latest Libraries Transform Book Pick, an award presented by Booklist and the American Library Association in partnership with OverDrive, is Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma (Grove Atlantic, April). All public libraries in the US with OverDrive subscriptions will be able to lend unlimited ebook copies of Book of the Little Axe September 14–28. -
In a now-viral promotional video from Harris County (Tex.) Public Library’s Barbara Bush branch, cowboy-hat–wearing hype man Curbside Larry shares an irresistible pitch for using the branch’s curbside pickup services. “We got shelves and shelves of books, Blu-rays, and DVDs, and we’d like nothing better than to take care of all your reading, research, and entertainment needs,” Larry exclaims. “What’s all this cost? Just three low payments of zero, zero, zero dollars!” -
Dantiel Moniz, Sarah Penner, M. O. Walsh, Syed M. Masood, and Rumaan Alam will be featured authors at the United for Libraries Virtual Gala Author Tea, sponsored by ReferenceUSA, from 6–7 p.m. Eastern on August 6 during the first-ever United for Libraries Virtual Event. This free event will be livestreamed on the United for Libraries Facebook page. -
ALA has selected Melissa Wilson as the recipient of the 2020 Tony B. Leisner Scholarship. The $3,000 scholarship, named for an active ALA member and former member of the ALA Council, is awarded to a library support staff member pursuing an MLIS. Wilson, who attends the University at Buffalo, has worked in libraries as a page, a circulation clerk, an administrative assistant, and currently works as a librarian trainee at Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton, New York. -
The Library Leadership and Management Association will present the webinar “Soliciting Feedback—Up, down, and sideways” on August 12 from 1:30–3 pm Central. Presenters will share their experiences soliciting feedback from their direct reports, colleagues, and supervisors to improve their performance as managers and leaders. Register online: http://tinyurl.com/3zhtecm, LLAMA member $49; Nonmember $59.
All links outside americanlibrariesmagazine.org are provided for informational purposes only. Questions about the content of any external site should be addressed to the administrator of that site.