All posts by Amy Carlton

More Important Than Ever

October 30, 2015 Amy Carlton 1 Comment

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 →

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

Features

Improving Health Literacy, One Public Library at a Time

October 30, 2015 Amy Carlton 1 Comment

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 →

Challenges by Initiator, 2014: Who challenges books?

Trends

Don’t Take the Freedom to Read for Granted

September 22, 2015 Amy Carlton

Banned Books Week, September 27–October 3, celebrates the idea that the freedom to read and access ideas can transform lives, but when books are banned, readers are blocked from seeing all viewpoints and perspectives. Because so many books that include racial issues and diverse characters are challenged, it is particularly important that we create public … Continue reading Don’t Take the Freedom to Read for Granted →

Trends

ALA Midwinter 2016: Get Ready Now!

September 21, 2015 Amy Carlton

Attendees at Midwinter engage in the face-to-face committee work that moves projects forward and builds on virtual collaboration, as well as quality conversations with exhibitors on a less crowded exhibit floor. They will return to their libraries and other institutions with the renewed sense of energy generated by in-person events, as well as new tools … Continue reading ALA Midwinter 2016: Get Ready Now! →

Irene Ke, Kristine Greive, and Porcia Vaughn

Columns, On My Mind

Improving Retention

September 17, 2015 Amy Carlton

The University of Houston (UH) has more than 40,000 students from 137 nations. Among our undergraduates, 26.9% are Hispanic, 19.8% are Asian, 10.2% are African American, and 9.8% are international. Many of them are first-generation or nontraditional students. UH is changing from a commuter school to a flagship destination research university, and student success is … Continue reading Improving Retention →

Columns, In Practice

It’s Not Us Versus Them

September 15, 2015 Amy Carlton 1 Comment

The level of hubris I had—and probably exhibited—back then embarrasses me today. I’m sure everyone probably feels that way looking back on their shiny new-to-librarianship selves. Luckily, I had patient and understanding colleagues who were, by and large, pretty game to try new things. These days, I cringe when I read things that accuse experienced … Continue reading It’s Not Us Versus Them →

Sonia Manzano played Mariam on Sesame Street for nearly 45 years. (Photo: Edward Pagan)

Newsmaker

Newsmaker: Sonia Manzano

September 9, 2015 Amy Carlton

You once mentioned the importance of seeing West Side Story as a child. Could you talk about what it was like seeing representations of yourself in entertainment and what that meant to you? SONIA MANZANO: When I was a kid, there were no people of color on television or in books. And so I grew … Continue reading Newsmaker: Sonia Manzano →

Features

2015 ALA Award Winners

September 2, 2015 Amy Carlton

Sidney E. Berger ABC-CLIO AWARD FOR THE BEST BOOK IN LIBRARY LITERATURE award of $2,500 recognizes those who improve management principles and the practice, understanding, and application of new techniques, or who further the education of librarians or other information specialists. Donor: ABC-CLIO Rare Books and Special Collections, published by ALA Neal-Schuman, provides a broad … Continue reading 2015 ALA Award Winners →

Bookend, Features

Bookend: Urban Renewal

September 1, 2015 Amy Carlton

“These are stories that are about inner-city life and urban life, and the kids could really relate,” says Boyd, now library media specialist and director of social media at Wendell Phillips Academy High School, where she has worked since 2010. When Boyd began advocating for the urban fiction genre, she was sometimes misunderstood. Many people, … Continue reading Bookend: Urban Renewal →

SirsiDynix booth at ALA 2015 Annual Conference and Exhibition

Features

A Look at Tech

July 23, 2015 Amy Carlton

One current trend in library technology aims to improve the engagement of patrons with libraries or to provide tools to help users work more effectively. In many respects, the technologies on display reinforced the theme of the “Library Systems Report 2015,” operationalizing the innovations brewing in recent years, including the increased adoption of Semantic Web technologies … Continue reading A Look at Tech →

Counterclockwise from top right: Keith Lu, bookmobile driver and library tech, waves a rainbow flag from the SFPL bookmobile; collections management assistant Alan Wong (center) and collections librarian Erin Dubois (right) strike a pose while waiting for the parade to begin; adult services librarian and bookmobile librarian Connie Porciuncula wears a pink wig in front of the TechMobile; Annemarie Dompe, student at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, holds a sign for Radclyffe Hall’s 1928 book The Well of Loneliness in front of the bookmobile; SFPL city librarian Luis Herrera rides a balloon-covered bike, and SFPL deputy city librarian Michael Lambert rides a skateboard ahead of SFPL’s marchers. (Photos: San Francisco Public Library)

Bookend, Features

Bookend: Librarians Show Their Pride

July 14, 2015 Amy Carlton

Counterclockwise from top right: Keith Lu, bookmobile driver and library tech, waves a rainbow flag from the SFPL bookmobile; collections management assistant Alan Wong (center) and collections librarian Erin Dubois (right) strike a pose while waiting for the parade to begin; adult services librarian and bookmobile librarian Connie Porciuncula wears a pink wig in front … Continue reading Bookend: Librarians Show Their Pride →

Features, Uncategorized

People with American Libraries

Gallery July 9, 2015 Amy Carlton

Author and Parks & Recreation star Nick Offerman at #alaac15 — Author and *Parks & Recreation* star Nick Offerman at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on Sesame Street for 44 years and won 15 Emmy Awards for writing, at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition. — Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on *Sesame Street* for 44 years and won 15 Emmy Awards for writing, at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Phil Klay, 2014 National Book Award Winner, at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition. — Phil Klay, 2014 National Book Award Winner for *Redeployment*, at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Louis Sachar, author of Holes, at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition — Louis Sachar, author of *Holes*, at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Attorney Roberta Kaplan, Opening General Session speaker and author of Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA at #alaac15 — Attorney Roberta Kaplan, Opening General Session speaker and author of *Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA* at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Caldecott-winning author-illustrator Jon Klassen at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

National Book Award finalist Edwidge Danticat at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Author Erin Dealey at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Essayist, historian, radio contributor, and cartoon voice artist Sarah Vowell at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Joshua Davis, Wired contributing editor, Epic Magazine founder, and author of the book Spare Parts, at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition. — Joshua Davis, *Wired* contributing editor, *Epic Magazine* founder, and author of the book *Spare Parts*, at #alaac15 in San Francisco.

Actor, director, and host of Reading Rainbow LeVar Burton at #alamw15 — Actor, director, and host of *Reading Rainbow* LeVar Burton at #alamw15 in Chicago.

High-wire artist (Man on Wire) Philippe Petit at #alaac14 — High-wire artist (*Man on Wire*) Philippe Petit at #alaac14 in Las Vegas.

Actor and author of Nightmares! Jason Segel at #alamw15. — Actor and author of *Nightmares!* Jason Segel at #alamw15 in Chicago.

Mandalorian bounty hunter Boba Fett at C2E2 in Chicago.

Actor and author Bruce Boxleitner at C2E2 in Chicago.

Chef, author, and TV host (Mexico: One Plate at a Time) Rick Bayless at #alaac13. — Chef, author, and TV host (*Mexico: One Plate at a Time*) Rick Bayless at #alaac13.

Chef, writer, and Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis at #alaac13 in Chicago.

Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, at #alaac13 in Chicago. — Khaled Hosseini, author of *The Kite Runner*, at #alaac13 in Chicago.

Octavia Spencer, actor and author of Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit, at #alaac13 in Chicago. — Octavia Spencer, actor and author of *Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit*, at #alaac13 in Chicago.

Latest Library Links

3h

“Over 1.2 million school-aged children were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2021–2022 school year. Kids who are experiencing homelessness and their caregivers can benefit greatly from the services libraries offer, including computer and printing access, programs and classes, books and other materials, as well as a place to spend time when their housing situation may not be safe or comfortable. Every school district in the U.S. is required by federal law to have a homeless student liaison, usually called a McKinney-Vento liaison. The good news is that it’s usually pretty easy to find your McKinney-Vento liaison.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 2
6h

“As early as 2003, certain university libraries in the US developed virtual libraries in the online video game Second Life and offered a variety of services, marking the first practical research on metaverse libraries. The metaverse is regaining popularity nearly two decades later, and technological circumstances have improved. Today’s metaverse is a collection of new technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), gaming, networking, etc. VR and AR are two of the most important metaverse enabling technologies, and their use in university libraries is growing.”

College & Research Libraries, Nov.
10h

Christina Caron writes: “On social media, Mychal Threets was spreading the gospel of ‘library joy’ to hundreds of thousands of followers. But at his job, as a supervisor at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Solano County, Calif., he was facing new challenges. Over a year, Threets filed more than 170 incident reports documenting how library patrons had acted out: property damage, harassment, physical altercations. Like Threets, librarians around the country are struggling to reconcile their desire to serve their communities with their need for self-preservation.”

New York Times, Oct. 31
1d

Megan Bennett writes: “From the iconic to the incendiary, political messages like these have emblazoned buttons and pins since the start of US elections. Since 2012, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been archiving political buttons. The collection now spans thousands of items over a century’s worth of campaigns and causes. The collection has approximately 4,800 buttons and pins and 200 stickers. Most fit into one of three categories: campaigns (local and national), sociopolitical movements, and community organizations like unions.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
1d

Cindy Hohl writes: “Recognizing all of humanity in libraries requires a thoughtful approach and a humble spirit. I believe that we, as information professionals, have been called to this work because of our shared values. Every day, library workers provide a vital public function. We are entrusted to serve our communities, and we know that the best way to serve the public good is to welcome everyone into libraries to access accurate information.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
1d

Anne Ford writes: “For Susan Brown, December 17, 2004, was a perfectly normal day—until she saw the elevator doors open. Brown, director of Transylvania University’s J. Douglas Gay Jr./Frances Carrick Thomas Library in Lexington, Kentucky, was walking past the staff elevator on the library’s main level when the doors parted and she reflexively glanced inside. Her gaze locked on the great red books held by two young men inside. On the 20th anniversary of what became known as the Transy book heist, American Libraries looks back at one of the most brazen and puzzling thefts ever to take place in an academic library.

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.
4d

Chase Hunter writes: “Chabot College Library and Learning Center in Hayward, California, held a ceremonial opening last week, but students have already gone so often that it’s quickly become a campus cornerstone. More than 35,000 Chabot College students have visited the new library and learning center—the tallest building on campus—this semester, already surpassing last year’s total. The new building’s geometric clean lines and splashes of orange—the school’s color—over a chrome exterior is attracting students in a way that Chabot College hasn’t experienced since the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Mercury News (San Jose, California), Oct. 28

View more Latest Library Links