All posts by mightybytes

Latest Library Links, January 15, 2015

January 26, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

ALA News ALA President's Message: Everyone's work Survey on equity, diversity, and inclusion Midwinter Meeting News Five Chicago attractions for visitors on a budget Awards & Grants 2014 Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Award 2015 Digital Book Awards 2015 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award Wikipedia wins 2015 Erasmus Prize Libraries eligible for 2015 Innovations in Reading Prize … Continue reading Latest Library Links, January 15, 2015 →

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Latest Library Links, January 16, 2015

January 26, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

ALA News School librarians and intellectual freedom web meetings Webinar: Understanding credit scores and reports Awards & Grants Honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Newbery Visionaries at the Darien Library 2014 Margaret A. Edwards Collection Development Grant winners Libraries in the News Four Queens Library vice-presidents resign Guam has not had any … Continue reading Latest Library Links, January 16, 2015 →

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Submit Your Architectural Project to the 2015 Library Design Showcase

January 23, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

We are looking for libraries that are shining examples of innovative architecture and that address patrons’ needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways. Previous submissions have consisted of projects ranging from innovative kids’ spaces and outdoor facilities to expanded high-tech academic libraries and restorations of libraries devastated by natural disasters. If your library is on … Continue reading Submit Your Architectural Project to the 2015 Library Design Showcase →

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A Drone’s-Eye-View of a Wintery Chicago

Video January 23, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

If recent news about Chicago's polar vortex has you wondering about what to wear for the Midwinter Meeting, we have one piece of advice: Layer up. The cityscape is still breathtaking, as this bird's-eye video from a drone shows.

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Latest Library Links, December 22, 2014

January 23, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

Midwinter Meeting News Making the most of Midwinter American Libraries Online Libraries use dog therapy programs to reach reluctant readers Libraries in the News Nigerian government urged to establish libraries in prisons Detroit Public Library adds free digital download service Three cities bid for Obama Presidential Library Issues Sony leak reveals efforts to revive SOPA … Continue reading Latest Library Links, December 22, 2014 →

Uncategorized, Youth Matters

Mind the Gap

January 22, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

Last fall, I paid assiduous attention to early childhood literacy, striking up conversations on the subject and creating lengthy lists of resources. My obsessive information seeking supports students in my community engagement class who are helping Sioux City (Iowa) Public Library (SCPL) staffers locate area organizations with an interest in children’s reading. Library Director Betsy … Continue reading Mind the Gap →

President's Message, Uncategorized

Everyone’s Work

January 15, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

I believe diversity is an essential value for everyone working in a library or pursuing a degree in library and information science or a related field. Libraries that have the most significant impact on their communities understand and embrace the importance of diversity. They showcase their librarians, staff, and volunteers as members of a vibrant … Continue reading Everyone’s Work →

Features

Second Chances

January 12, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

She was working full-time as a general manager at a bakery while taking classes toward her associate’s degree at Los Angeles Harbor College. “I’ve always done really well without my high school diploma, but there were a few classes that I wanted to take,” she says. “At the time, I was thinking of possibly becoming … Continue reading Second Chances →

Features, Newsmaker

Newsmaker: Diana Gabaldon

January 8, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

When you began writing Outlander, you didn’t think anyone would ever see it, but you shared some of what you wrote on literary forums. Can you talk about what role the online literary community played for you as a novelist starting out? I started showing people a bit of what I was doing on [a … Continue reading Newsmaker: Diana Gabaldon →

Features

2015 ALA Midwinter Preview

January 2, 2015 mightybytes Leave a comment

Sandburg could have been talking about librarians. As societal and technological shifts continue to influence (and create gaps in) who has access to information and how, librarians’ roles as the bridges connecting different and diverse communities to relevant resources becomes more prominent. Big shoulders indeed. Librarians from around the world will arrive in Chicago for … Continue reading 2015 ALA Midwinter Preview →

Dispatches from the Field

Digital Media Labs

December 31, 2014 mightybytes Leave a comment

Where in a library can families share their stories? Where can teens create music videos and upload them online? Where can a veteran revisit his Army buddies? The answer is in the library’s own digital media lab (DML). A DML consists of equipment for either creating original digital content or converting older media to digital … Continue reading Digital Media Labs →

Features

Hot Eats for Cold Nights

December 30, 2014 mightybytes Leave a comment

While the ultimate Windy City comfort foods are the oh-so-familiar Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza, each neighborhood offers its own soothing culinary creature comfort: noodles in Chinatown, tacos in Pilsen, and reinvented diner fare in the trendy West Loop. (All of the spots listed within this guide are within an easy El or … Continue reading Hot Eats for Cold Nights →

Latest Library Links

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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
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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
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“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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.

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