January/February 2010

Features & Trends

Embracing Change for Continuous Improvement

By Peter Hernon and Ellen Altman

Progress implies change. Not all change is progress, but all progress requires change. Change can be planned or unplanned. Libraries have experienced some serious unplanned changes in the recent past; they have been buffeted by changes in technology and scholarly communication and the downturn in the economy. Even so, most libraries have adapted wonderfully to … Continue reading Embracing Change for Continuous Improvement →

Author Wesley Adamczyk Documents World War II Soviet Deportation of Poles to Siberia

In 1940, author Wesley Adamczyk was deported at age 7 from his native Poland to Siberia with his family. He was among more than a million poles who were exiled, imprisoned, or enslaved at hard labor. His father was murdered by the soviets in the Katyn Massacre; his mother died of disease and starvation while … Continue reading Author Wesley Adamczyk Documents World War II Soviet Deportation of Poles to Siberia →

How to Thrive by Design in Tough Times

By Lisa Rosenblum

First the bad news: The local economy is down, half of your branches close early three days a week, and staff hours have been cut by 20%. Now the good news: Circulation and gate count have skyrocketed and people who haven’t been inside a public library in decades are lining up for library cards. While … Continue reading How to Thrive by Design in Tough Times →

Where to Eat in Boston
By Betsy Clarke and Jessica Snow
ABLE in Afghanistan
By Carol A. Erickson
It’s the Content, Stupid
By Steven Escar Smith and Holly Mercer

Columnists

Outsourcing: Turning a Negative into a Positive
By Roberta A. Stevens
Resolutions and Rollouts
By Leonard Kniffel
Inspiration, Seattle-style
By Brian Mathews
The Faces of Circulation
by Toccara Porter
Some of My Favorite Reads
By Jennifer Burek Pierce
Info the Woods
by Joseph Janes
That’s News to Me
By Will Manley
Brand Perception 2.0
By Meredith Farkas
Brand Perception 2.0
By Meredith Farkas
Charleston on My Mind
Mary Ellen Quinn

Latest Library Links

2d

Renee Kitson writes: “In early childhood library programming, we expect adults and children to participate together. Caregivers sing during storytime, bounce babies on their knees, help toddlers with activities, and sit beside preschoolers as they explore. But when children reach school age, programs increasingly become for the child. Adults become the people who drive children to the library and watch from the sidelines. As children become more independent, we naturally begin to give them more space. But I’ve started to wonder: What if school-age children don’t have to age out of shared experiences with the adults in their lives?”

ALSC Blog, Aug. 14
4d

Radu Tyrsina writes: “In recent years, Google has made significant changes that have particularly impacted publishers and other content creators. At the same time, we’ve witnessed the rise of alternative search engines. Although Google continues to dominate the market, there are many reasons you might consider exploring other options. We’ve compiled and tested a list of alternatives in our environment.”

Search Engine Watch, Aug. 9
5d

Savannah Long writes: “Regardless of your individual experience with animals coming into your library, all libraries—law libraries included—should have an animal policy. For some libraries, that may simply be a policy explicitly stating that only service animals are permitted, in accordance with federal law; however, I believe that a more in-depth policy is beneficial, and this post will discuss various elements to consider when drafting your own policy. To further assist in this process, I have written a sample animal policy for law libraries to use as a template.”

RIPS Law Librarian Blog, Aug. 5
5d

Michael Cairns writes: “For more than a decade, trade publishers pushed a consistent narrative: Library patrons are freeloading on ebooks, and unrestricted digital lending has/can/will cannibalize consumer sales. It’s a tidy disaster scenario, but not supported by data. Consumer ebook revenue has been declining for structural reasons that have nothing to do with library circulation since 2014. Meanwhile, the prevailing digital licensing architecture effectively taxes library patrons for accessing a public service and pushes library budgets past the breaking point.”

Personanondata, Aug. 4
5d

“The Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI) has published the PALCI Guide to Interoperability and System Selection, a resource to help academic and research libraries evaluate whether new systems will support open standards and effective collaboration before contracts are signed. The guide walks readers through what interoperability means in practice; why it matters for cost, flexibility, and long-term access; and what open standards, as opposed to closed proprietary interfaces, allow libraries to do that closed systems don’t.”

Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation, Aug. 4
6d

“It’s one of the realities of the profession. On any given day, we wear all kinds of hats. We often move from one role to the next without even thinking about it. Wearing different hats is one of the reasons that many of us love library work. Every day brings something different, new challenges, and opportunities to make a difference in our communities. Finding balance isn’t only about discovering the work that brings you joy. It’s also about recognizing that you don’t have to carry everything by yourself.”

Compassionate Librarian, Aug. 7
6d

Courtney Pentland writes: “Every school in the country should be equipped with a specially trained, built-in literacy partner. If you do not have the benefit of a certified school librarian, the following information may inspire you to advocate on behalf of your school community to include this indispensable educator as part of your teaching faculty. If you are lucky enough to have a school librarian just down the hall from you, then these ideas may help them help you support the literacy goals for your learners.”

Knowledge Quest, Aug. 11

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