Latest Library Links, January 16, 2015

News from ALA and the profession

January 26, 2015

Submit Your Architectural Project to the 2015 Library Design Showcase

Latest Library Links, January 15, 2015

News from ALA and the profession

Latest Library Links

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Allen Jones and Sae Ra Germaine write: “Interlibrary lending and document delivery have never been neutral technical layers. They are shaped—sometimes constrained—by the platforms libraries choose to implement. Over the last 25 years, two broad models have emerged: centralized networks and regional or distributed networks. Against this backdrop, the National Library of Australia explored a third path: a national network of networks, which includes libraries of all types—academic, public, special, and corporate.”

Katina, Apr. 8
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William Bishop writes: “Digital books have grown in popularity over the past decade, but more Americans still read books in print than in digital formats. Overall, 75% of US adults say they have read all or part of at least one book in the past 12 months, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2025. Much smaller shares say they have read an ebook or listened to an audiobook in the past year. While book reading is widespread, the survey also shows that participation in book clubs is much less common.”

Pew Research Center, Apr. 9
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Shana Lynch writes: “This year’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Index report reveals AI’s capabilities are advancing quickly; less so, our ability to measure and manage them. The annual AI Index has tracked the field’s evolution since 2017, measuring everything from technical capabilities and research output to societal impact and public perception. The new report shows that AI models are achieving breakthrough results in science and complex reasoning, but at a concerning environmental toll. Meanwhile, AI’s workforce disruption has moved from prediction to reality, hitting young workers first.”

Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Apr. 13
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On April 8, ALA announced the fourth and final round of recipients of its Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant, an initiative to help small and rural libraries increase the accessibility of facilities, services, and programs to better serve people with disabilities. The 300 funded proposals represent 46 US states and the Northern Mariana Islands, and 73% of selected libraries serve communities with populations of 5,000 or fewer. Fifty libraries will receive grants of $20,000, and 250 libraries will receive grants of $10,000.

ALA Public Programs Office, Apr. 8
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Cara Bertram writes: “On April 28, 1892, the first librarian of the Milwaukee Public Library (MPL), Klas August Linderfelt, was summoned to a meeting with library trustees and Mayor Peter J. Somers. There, Linderfelt was accused of embezzling $4,000, to which he admitted guilt and was subsequently arrested. Linderfelt’s arrest came as a shock to the library profession. Not only was he the head of the MPL, but he was also the president of both the ALA and the Wisconsin Library Association. A longtime and active member of ALA, Linderfelt was well liked by his colleagues, leaving them reeling at his arrest.”

ALA Archives, Apr. 10
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Sungmin Park and Yuji Tosaka write: “The focus of this article is to analyze how gender is represented (or not represented) across headings for classes of persons within Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). In particular, the study examines these terms through the lens of gender marking. LCSH has a significantly disproportionate number of feminine demographic terms. A significant disparity was also observed in gendered headings lacking corresponding terms for the opposite gender. Disparity between feminine and masculine headings is particularly severe in categories that have historically been associated with men.”

Library Resources & Technical Services, vol. 70, no. 2 (Apr.)
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Margot Conahan writes: “The ACRL Information Literacy Framework Review and Revision Task Force is pleased to announce that the first draft of the revised Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education is ready for feedback from the community. There are two main options for providing feedback on the draft. You may use any or all of the opportunities available to provide feedback. The task force has created a detailed feedback form open until May 8. There are also two webinars scheduled for April 23 and April 28 where you can provide feedback in conversation with your peers and the task force.

ACRL Insider, Apr. 10