Daily Archives: October 30, 2015

New York Public Library posted this image on Twitter on October 29 to signal comeback hopes for the New York Mets in the World Series. The friendly social media exchange among several New York and Kansas City libraries has caught the attention of several mainstream media outlets.

Libraries Take Part in World Series–Themed Twitter “Battle”

By Alison Marcotte | October 30, 2015

Some #bookspinepoetry for our friends @BlueJays & @torontolibrary #TaketheCrown #GoRoyals #ALCS pic.twitter.com/Zj5ZvhFljv — KCMO Public Library (@KCLibrary) October 20, 2015 Toronto Public Library responded, saying, “Warning.” “Kansas City.” “It Ain’t Over till It’s Over.” Well played @KCLibrary but we’ve got a way with words too. ‘Til tomorrow! @BlueJays #ComeTOgether #GoJaysGo pic.twitter.com/qED5PFp95t — TorontoPublicLibrary (@torontolibrary) October … Continue reading Libraries Take Part in World Series–Themed Twitter “Battle” →

Solving the Self-Published Puzzle

By Greg Landgraf | October 30, 2015

“We used to have an event in Glen Ellyn called BookFest involving local merchants and the library,” says Susan DeRonne, adult department director at Glen Ellyn Public Library (GEPL). “[It] had a tent where self-published authors could sell their works, and it became more and more popular in its last years.” GEPL is one of … Continue reading Solving the Self-Published Puzzle →

Rebecca K. Miller, Heather Moorefield-Lang, and Carolyn Meier

Embracing the Future

Char Booth’s 2009 report, Informing Innovation: Tracking Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies at Ohio University, cautions against experimenting with too many programs at once. She argues that decisions should be grounded in insight into local library, information, and technology cultures—a policy that we call “intentional integration.” A 2014 Pew Research survey indicates that 64% … Continue reading Embracing the Future →

Making the Most of Midwinter 2016

October 30, 2015

Speakers Kick off Midwinter with the ERT/Booklist Author Forum (January 8), an exciting panel moderated by a Booklist editor. Get inspired at the Arthur Curley Memorial Lecture (January 9) where you’ll hear a talk by cyberbullying activist Lizzie Velasquez, best known for her TEDx talk viewed more than 9 million times on YouTube. Attend the … Continue reading Making the Most of Midwinter 2016 →

The New ALA Strategic Directions

By Keith Michael Fiels | October 30, 2015

It begins with our core values. These statements define our deepest aspirations and how we approach our work together. They are: extending and expanding library services in the US and around the world promoting all types of libraries—academic, public, school, and special supporting all librarians, library staff, trustees and other individuals and groups working to … Continue reading The New ALA Strategic Directions →

The Fee Library

By Joseph Janes | October 30, 2015

You can imagine my reaction when our local public radio station introduced a story about the plans for a new library, opening January 2016. Not the sort of thing one hears every day, and my interest deepened when the details emerged: This isn’t a new branch of Seattle Public Library (SPL); it’s a new subscription … Continue reading The Fee Library →

Everything Is Messy

By Linda W. Braun | October 30, 2015

I realized that word was a fitting—and not necessarily negative—description. Many people serving youth and families in libraries may find it to be a “messy” business. It’s messy because: The audience we work with is not static. What youth and families need is always changing, and how libraries support those needs has to change too. … Continue reading Everything Is Messy →

Academic Tools

By Phil Morehart | October 30, 2015

Games to test college-level writing Toolwire develops, delivers, and supports immersive learning tools for online and blended learning courses. It’s a new name in game-based learning, but it is already earning accolades for the new directions it’s taking to enhance the educational gaming experience. Through customer feedback and user testing, Toolwire learned that a game’s … Continue reading Academic Tools →

Wild Colorado Wildlife Discovery App

By Joseph Sanchez | October 30, 2015

American Libraries invited Joseph Sanchez of Mesa County (Colo.) Libraries to talk about a project he has been working on: a wildlife app managed by the library. Like fly-fishing? See photos of fish, flies, books, river locations, upcoming seminars, as well as other content in the app, all eventually to be cross-referenced in the library’s … Continue reading Wild Colorado Wildlife Discovery App →

More Important Than Ever

By Meredith Farkas | October 30, 2015

We know that intellectual freedom is a core value of our profession, but it’s easy to become complacent and lose sight of the magnitude of our role in protecting patron privacy. This may stem from the fact that there is now so much that is outside of our control, but that makes our role as … Continue reading More Important Than Ever →

Scholarly Communication

By Karen Muller | October 30, 2015

Some aspects of the scholarly cycle have persisted for centuries: Scholars write to one another discussing their work, present findings at departmental colloquia or conferences, publish an article, and when there’s a body of research, revamp it into a book. In Scholarly Communications: A History from Content as King to Content as Kingmaker, John J. … Continue reading Scholarly Communication →

Marilynn Lance-Robb, branch manager at the Carvers Bay Branch Library in Georgetown, South Carolina, assists a patron with health information. Photo: Marilynn Lance-Robb

Improving Health Literacy, One Public Library at a Time

By Lea Radick | October 30, 2015

Instead, Davis assists patrons with their health care questions by helping them find information on Medline-Plus, an authoritative, free website where the public can find health information in more than 40 languages. Although Davis, a former medical librarian, is familiar with health care topics, most public librarians do not necessarily have a medical background. Still … Continue reading Improving Health Literacy, One Public Library at a Time →

Latest Library Links

11h

Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
15h

Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
1d

“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
2d

Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
2d

Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.
3d

In Episode 94, Call Number celebrates Preservation Week, to be held this year April 28–May 4. The week’s events aim to raise awareness of the role libraries and cultural institutions play in protecting historic and culturally significant collections. Segments include Traci Sorell, honorary chair of this year’s Preservation Week, discussing the role of preservation through storytelling; Kathleen Monahan, special collections public services supervisor at Boston Public Library, addressing the importance of security in preservation; and Rosie Grayburn and Melissa Tedone, cofounders of the Poison Book Project, talking about their research on potentially toxic bookbinding materials from the 19th century.

AL: The Scoop, Apr. 15
3d

Leigh Kunkel writes: “The legalization of marijuana in many states and municipalities in recent years has created a newly legal industry and budding entrepreneurs who can benefit from the expertise of business librarians. As soon as Washington state introduced an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2012, Seattle Public Library librarian Jay Lyman started fielding questions from potential entrepreneurs. Since then, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis use, and 14 more have legalized medical use of cannabis. This cultural shift brings a new opportunity for libraries to step in with support services.”

American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.

View more Latest Library Links