International Archives | Page 18 of 18 | American Libraries Magazine

Staff Shortages Stymie Service Stability in Philly

By Beverly Goldberg | December 15, 2009

Attrition, layoffs, and budget cuts have been plaguing the Free Library of Philadelphia’s 54 branches since the fall, making it difficult for the system’s reduced workforce to maintain five-day-a-week service in the neighborhoods. “The library is critically short-staffed,” Friends Director Amy Dougherty said in the December 14 Philadelphia Daily News. “Librarians [are] completely stressed out. … Continue reading Staff Shortages Stymie Service Stability in Philly →

How to Thrive by Design in Tough Times

By Lisa Rosenblum | December 15, 2009

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 →

Community Outrage Prompts Officials to Reopen Colton Libraries

By Beverly Goldberg | December 2, 2009

Less than a month after city administrators in Colton, California, abruptly shuttered both public libraries as part of an effort to close a $5-million budget gap, Colton Public Library is back in business. The December 1 reopening of the main library came just two weeks after some 100 area residents, including library board President Pete … Continue reading Community Outrage Prompts Officials to Reopen Colton Libraries →

It May Cost Too Much to Close Libraries in Reading, Pennsylvania

By Beverly Goldberg | November 4, 2009

Concerned citizens in Reading, Pennsylvania, have been brainstorming about how to keep the three branches of the Reading Public Library open ever since the board announced in late October that it had to close the three facilities at year’s end and lay off nine of the 20 branch library workers, leaving the city of about … Continue reading It May Cost Too Much to Close Libraries in Reading, Pennsylvania →

Gwinnett Board Blinks, Rescinds System Reorganization

By Beverly Goldberg | October 25, 2009

Citizen-activists in Gwinnett County, Georgia, won a months-long battle with library officials October 21 when trustees at a specially called meeting voted unanimously to keep all 15 branches of the county system open as full-service libraries instead of converting three facilities to bookless computer centers or shuttering them altogether. “I believe we put enough pressure … Continue reading Gwinnett Board Blinks, Rescinds System Reorganization →

Angry Patrons Seek Gwinnett Director’s Ouster

By Beverly Goldberg | October 7, 2009

The stakes have risen in an ongoing dispute between Gwinnett County (Ga.) Public Library officials and area residents served by the Dacula branch, despite the board having rescinded its August decision to close the three-year-old facility and shift the staff and collection to the yet-to-be-built Hamilton Mill Library. Although GCPL trustees agreed September 22 to … Continue reading Angry Patrons Seek Gwinnett Director’s Ouster →

Facebook à la Fulbright

By Heather Lea Moulaison | October 7, 2009

A New Jersey librarian had put me in touch with this outgoing young woman, starting the social networking experience that would supplement F2F (face-to-face) contact in class throughout the academic year. I had already been using Facebook to keep in touch with friends and colleagues while in the United States. Surprisingly, Facebook also became a … Continue reading Facebook à la Fulbright →

Once Doomed, Salinas Public Library Draws 15,000 to Its Centennial

By Sean Fitzpatrick | September 30, 2009

In just four hours, 15,000 people gathered September 27 at the three branches of Salinas (Calif.) Public Library—John Steinbeck, El Gablian, and Cesar Chavez—for a simultaneous celebration of the library’s 100th birthday that included entertainment, a read-out, birthday cake, and the sealing of a time capsule. Library Director Elizabeth Martinez told American Libraries that the … Continue reading Once Doomed, Salinas Public Library Draws 15,000 to Its Centennial →

Milan Stays Open Till Midnight for IFLA Cultural Evening

September 3, 2009

Those who wondered why the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions would meet in Italy in the heat of August got their answer last night, August 25, when the city of Milan opened its treasures to IFLA. At a time of year when half the city has left for vacation, it felt as if … Continue reading Milan Stays Open Till Midnight for IFLA Cultural Evening →

IFLA Assembly Learns Streamlining Works, Finances Stable

September 3, 2009

The General Assembly of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions met August 26 during the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Milan, Italy. Formerly known as the Council, the General Assembly has been re-engineered to reflect a swifter, streamlined IFLA, with an emphasis on the core activities and priorities of its active … Continue reading IFLA Assembly Learns Streamlining Works, Finances Stable →

IFLA Closing Day Puts Focus Back on Global Economy

September 3, 2009

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) closed its 75th World Library and Information Congress August 27 with National Organizing Committee chair Mauro Guerrini announcing that the five–day conference in Milan had attracted 3,931 registrants, along with 228 volunteers and members of the Italian staff, 128 exhibitors, 34 press, 30 interpreters and assorted … Continue reading IFLA Closing Day Puts Focus Back on Global Economy →

Ohio Budget Deal Includes Less Severe Funding Cut

By Gordon Flagg | July 15, 2009

Ohio libraries have been spared the proposed budget cuts that had threatened to lower their state funding by 30%. However, the biennial budget passed by the state legislature July 13 still includes a reduction in library funding of some 11%. The budget legalizes racetrack slot machines and cuts several state programs to close a projected … Continue reading Ohio Budget Deal Includes Less Severe Funding Cut →

Latest Library Links

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“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.”

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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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M Roberts writes: “August 4 marked one year in my role at Vanderbilt. The time has flown by! One of my goals for the summer was to reflect on my first year as a librarian and to plan for the second year based on what I’d learned. Although I haven’t had as much time for that reflection as I’d hoped, for my final post as a First-Year Academic Librarian blogger, I wanted to share a few lessons learned that I’m planning to build on during the upcoming year.”

ACRLog, Aug. 10
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Lauren Quinlan writes: “Between 1893 and 1919, Andrew Carnegie gave away $60 million of his fortune to fund 1,689 public libraries across the country. These ‘Carnegie libraries’ became cultural centers in towns big and small and were instrumental in constructing the blueprint of small-town America as we know it today. These towns were often so proud of these monuments of culture that they distributed postcards celebrating the new library. Many of these postcards, along with thousands of other postcards of libraries around the world, are housed at the ALA Archives.”

ALA150, Aug. 11
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Jeff Lang writes: “For too many of us, conversations about accessibility in scholarly communication begin and end with alt text. While text descriptions are an important accommodation, they represent just one element of a much broader challenge: ensuring that research can be understood by the widest possible audience. The goal is not simply to make content available, but to communicate ideas effectively across different abilities, contexts, and modes of engagement. This is the foundation of open science and a core tenet of universities, funders, scholarly societies and many others.”

Katina, Aug. 4
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Austyn Szempruch writes: “With Florida’s homestead exemption amendment appearing poised to be voted into law in November, the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners are looking to be proactive in making the cuts necessary for staying under budget. The tentative 2027 budget was set to shutter West Hernando Library to save upwards of $500,000. Due in large part to more than a thousand emails, and the fervent opposition of more than 30 residents at the county’s special budget meeting August 6, the board unanimously voted 4–0 for a budget that included keeping the popular local library.”

Hernando (Fla.) Sun, Aug. 7
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Lauren Busser writes: “Designing a new website is about more than just aesthetics. It’s also a time to consider what is and isn’t currently working for your audience. Analytics can help you make some suggestions, but engaging your audience in the design process can help uncover aspects of your website that you’ve never considered. Over the last two years, I have been engaging the community at Fairfield (Conn.) University to aid in redesigning the DiMenna-Nyselius Library website. These are a few exercises we conducted that got us talking about ways to make meaningful change.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Aug. 10

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