12h
Alejandro Marquez writes: “In the mid-20th century, it was believed that technology would make our lives simpler and lead to a shorter workweek. Yet, that freedom never came to pass. Our personal and professional lives have begun to blur. We live in a technological age of emails, notifications, instant messaging, calendar invites, Zoom calls, and being constantly connected to our smartphones. Full calendars and endless to-do lists aren’t just markers of a busy week; they’ve become a rite of passage for those striving to succeed. But at what cost?”
Choice: Toward Inclusive Excellence, Aug. 11
16h
The Education and Libraries Networks Coalition, cochaired by AASA, the School Superintendents Association; ALA; and Bernstein Strategy Group—reaffirmed its strong support for the E-Rate program. ALA urges its members to submit comments on an FCC proposal that raises questions about limiting or terminating the E-Rate program, which provides discounts to help schools and libraries provide broadband internet access. The deadline for submitting comments is October 13, and ALA offers instructions and a template to aid in drafting comments.
AASA, the School Superintendents Association, Aug. 14; American Libraries Online, June 16
3d
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
6d
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
6d
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
7d
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
7d
“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
