12h
When Felton Thomas, director of Cleveland Public Library, welcomed intern–mentor pairs at this year’s PLA Inclusive Internship Initiative kick-off in Chicago on June 13–15, he presented them with the word “revolution”—a fundamental change in the way of thinking. “Libraries should be more inclusive, different-thinking, and innovative,” he said. “I want us to try and revolutionize libraries towards the better and change stereotypes.” Now in its third year, PLA’s III program offers summer internships designed to introduce students of diverse backgrounds to library careers.
AL: The Scoop, June 18
13h
YALSA has selected Kristie Escobar, a third-year doctoral student at the Florida State University’s School of Information, as the recipient of its new Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Award. Escobar’s research project focuses on the 2018 GLBRT Rainbow Book List Young Adult novel selections. In her three-paper dissertation, she will examine the diversity of the LBGTQAI+ protagonists of the young adult novels from the book list in order to gauge the representation of various demographics. She will receive up to $3,000 to cover expenses for her research project.
YALSA, June 18
14h
Michael Damron writes: “Louisville (Ohio) Public Library opened an innovative Sensory Space in August 2018 with the help of a $50,000 LSTA grant. It offers teen sensory relaxation sessions, adult sensory exploration, sensory storytimes, and other activities for patrons on the autism spectrum. Louisville is one of the first public libraries to offer a free multisensory environment, which is housed in the library’s Discovery Center. The space is divided into two sections to help tailor the experience to specific needs. One section is filled with tactile objects providing physical interaction; the other is a relaxation area.”
American Libraries spotlight, June
14h
Rod Hersberger writes: “I’ve been a senior trustee of the ALA Endowment Fund for the past six years. As my term comes to an end following the 2019 Annual Conference, I want to share four important achievements of the ALA Endowment over the past several years. The first is the endowment’s investment in private equity. While it is illiquid, private equity generally outperforms most other investment categories. We did not venture into this area lightly. The trustees conducted an extraordinary level of discussion, review, and due diligence before we made our first investment.”
AL: The Scoop, June 18
14h
Will Greenwald writes: “You need a separate sound system if you want loud, high-quality audio for your TV that isn’t thin or tinny. That’s what soundbars are for. Soundbars are long, usually relatively thin (but still thicker than your HDTV) speakers that incorporate stereo, left/right/center, or even surround sound audio in an easy-to-set-up device you plug into your TV’s HDMI or optical port. They’re add-on sound systems that don’t take up much more space than your TV itself, but add much-needed power, range, and clarity to your audio experience.”
PC Magazine, June 19
14h
D. R. Baker writes: “Every time I fly I look forward to one simple pleasure: the subtle magic of reading on an airplane. For a recent flight, I selected four books that are perfect flight companions. The Name of the Wind is a thick tome containing a fully-realized world in which I can immerse myself for hours at a time. Spineless describes the undersea lives of jellyfish with effortless prose that makes the reader feel as weightless as the invertebrates themselves. Imperial Dreams follows one naturalist’s journey to spy a rarely seen imperial woodpecker. In You Feel So Mortal, Peggy Shinner has penned “essays on the body” that explore everything from autopsies to cultural stereotypes associated with nose shapes.”
Book Riot, June 17
15h
Most prolific artists, authors, and creatives find inspiration wherever they can—even in their dreams. From Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory to John Lennon’s “#9 Dream,” dreams have a history of inspiring creative works of art. As many of the most easily remembered dreams are bizarre, fantastical, or otherwise nightmarish, it makes sense that they often result in horror novels. As an artist or creative, you too can find inspiration in your dreams for your work. All it takes is getting enough rest and some practice recalling and recording your dreams. For insights on which novels were inspired by dreams, check out this infographic.
Sleep Advisor, June 13
