Mandy L. Halvert

June 25, 2018 970 × 647 Finding the Right Fit: The Mentorship Search

Mandy L. Havert of Notre Dame encourages participants to “Be Your Own Mentor” at a session at the American Library Annual Conference sponsored by the Association of College and Research Libraries on June 24.

Mandy L. Havert

Latest Library Links

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Ella Creamer writes: “As a teenager in the 1970s, novelist Jonathan Coe spent hours in Birmingham (England) Central Library. Now, Coe is among the writers featured in a newly launched ‘protest zine’ rallying against the wide-ranging cuts to library services proposed by Birmingham city council. In March, Birmingham city council approved what were thought to be the biggest budget cuts in local authority history, including a targeted £2.3m reduction in the library budget. The number of council-funded community libraries would be reduced from 35 to either 27 or 17, depending on which proposal is pursued.”

The Guardian, Sept. 23
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“A previously unknown string trio from Mozart’s early years has been discovered in the archives of the music library of Leipzig (Germany) Municipal Libraries, according to a statement from the institution. Consisting of seven miniature movements for two violins and bass, the trio ‘is thought to have been written in the mid to late 1760s,’ the researchers posit. The discovery was made during research to compile the latest edition of the thematic catalog of Mozart’s complete musical works.”

The Strad, Sept. 22
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Nihar Chhaya writes: “Whether you want to advance in leadership or stay relevant where you are, continuous learning is critical to success. After all, if you’re not evolving in this ever-changing world, you may not only get left behind the competition—you could find that your current skills aren’t even needed anymore. At the same time, you might be trying to stay above water with no energy to devote to more training. Consider these five strategies to ensure you’re continuously learning even when you’re feeling depleted or overwhelmed.”

Harvard Business Review, Sept. 24
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Joe Supan writes: “About 2.8 million American households added an internet subscription in 2023, according to newly released Census data. That’s less than the 3.2 million households that got online in 2022, and the second smallest jump since the Census Bureau began collecting the data in 2015. Still, that means 92.2% of American households now have an internet subscription—up from 76.7% in 2015.” However, the expiration of the Emergency Broadband Benefit and its replacement by the Affordable Connectivity Program (which also provides subsidies for home internet but at a lower rate for many) may affect that progress.

CNET, Sept. 22
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Jenna Prestininzi writes: “Royal Oak (Mich.) Public Library was set to reopen Sept. 23 after a temporary closure over the weekend because of an insect invasion. The library had closed on September 21 after staff discovered bugs in a DVD case that were placed in a book drop and entered the building. An inspection by the library’s pest control company checked the library, book drops and returned items and cleared the library to reopen.” When the bugs were discovered, library staff bagged potentially affected materials and stored them in an isolated garage, and Director Sandy Irwin closed the library as a precaution.

Detroit Free Press, Sept. 22–23
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“Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to positively impact library and archives collections and services—enhancing reference, instruction, metadata creation, recommendations, and more. However, AI also has ethical implications. This paper presents an extensive literature and review analysis that examines AI projects implemented in library and archives settings. Just over half of the papers included in the literature review mentioned ethics or values related issues in their discussions of AI implementation in libraries and archives, and only one-third of all resources discussed ethical issues beyond technical issues of accuracy and human-in-the-loop.”

Information Technology and Libraries, Sept. 23
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ALA invites applications for the third round of funding of the Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant. This round of funding will offer $3.5 million in $10,000 and $20,000 grants to libraries serving populations under 25,000 to increase the accessibility of facilities, services and programs to better serve people with disabilities. Library workers may apply for funding through December 11. Previous awardees are eligible to apply, although applicants not previously awarded will be prioritized. Those interested in applying can register for a pre-application webinar to be held October 10 at 12 p.m. Central.

ALA Public Programs Office, Sept. 17

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