lds-meridien1

August 22, 2024 750 × 500 2024 Library Design Showcase

Interior of Meridian Library District, Orchard Park branch

Meridian (Idaho) Library District, Orchard Park branch

Latest Library Links

18h

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
22h

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.)
1d

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
2d

ALA and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees have reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice in their lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The April 9 settlement allows IMLS to continue carrying out its congressionally mandated work. On April 6, the Trump administration also withdrew its appeal in a separate but similar case brought by the attorneys general of 21 states to protect IMLS. The administration’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal eliminates all IMLS funding, although Trump’s initial proposals have consistently eliminated IMLS funding only to have funding preserved or increased after library advocacy efforts.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Apr. 9, Apr. 7, Apr. 3
2d

ALA’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy Working Group has released the draft document Guidance of the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Libraries. The group was established by Council in June 2025 with a charge to develop a unified, critically informed ALA position on AI in libraries through the lens of ALA’s Core Values. All ALA members are invited to provide feedback by May 8 to inform revisions that will be incorporated into a final document that will be presented for approval by Council at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference.

ALA AI Policy Working Group
2d

American Libraries celebrates park collections and libraries’ connections to the National Park Service. Discover the number of preserved plants in the herbarium at Zion National Park in Utah, the number of books written by naturalist John Muir (one of the driving forces behind the creation of several national parks, including Grand Canyon, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest, Sequoia, and Yosemite national parks), and the year that Yosemite Research Library began acquiring its collection.

American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.
5d

Adaeze Uche writes: “There are only a few people who learn Excel in an academic setting. Most of us pick it up as we go, learning just enough to get through whatever task is in front of us. It’s great that we can build our Excel skills this way, but we also tend to pick up inefficient habits. Once you identify and unlearn them, you put yourself in position to use Excel more effectively.”

MakeUseOf, Apr. 5

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