Author Archive: Amy Carlton

Sylvia Acevedo at the ALA 2019 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle.

Gratitude and Rocket Science

By Amy Carlton | January 27, 2019

Acevedo grew up on a dirt road in the desert of Las Cruces, New Mexico, the daughter of a Mexican-American father and a Mexican mother who spoke little English. They moved often and sometimes had to live with relatives because money was tight. But young Sylvia excelled in school, went to college and was one … Continue reading Gratitude and Rocket Science →

Author Eric Klinenberg (Photo: Lisa DeNeffe)

Newsmaker: Eric Klinenberg

By Amy Carlton | October 11, 2018

Klinenberg spoke with American Libraries about his lifelong love of libraries and the inadvertent lessons learned from Amazon stores. Your book opens with a discussion of the 1995 Chicago heat wave, which killed more than 700 people in just a few days. Why did you decide to start there? Eric Klinenberg: It was the first … Continue reading Newsmaker: Eric Klinenberg →

Newsmaker: Susan Orlean

By Amy Carlton | September 4, 2018

In the book you write, “Sometimes it’s harder to notice a place you think you know well…. I had to force myself to look harder and try to see beyond the concept of library that was so latent in my brain.” What is the most surprising thing that you learned about libraries or librarians while … Continue reading Newsmaker: Susan Orlean →

New Zealand delegates sing a traditional Maori song to welcome IFLA members to Auckland for WLIC 2020.

IFLA Looks toward Athens and Auckland

By Amy Carlton | August 30, 2018

Honors and awards Vicki McDonald, representing IFLA’s Professional Committee, awarded the organization’s new Dynamic Unit and Impact Award, which recognizes outstanding examples of the work and impact of IFLA units, to the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section. Catharina Isberg, secretary of the section, accepted the award. The runners-up, the Public Libraries Section and … Continue reading IFLA Looks toward Athens and Auckland →

IFLA President-Elect Christine Mackenzie at the World Library and Information Congress, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Let’s Work Together

By Amy Carlton | August 29, 2018

Five speakers each focused on one of the 10 different opportunities listed in the IFLA Global Vision Report through the lens of collaboration. Allison Dobbie, principal development advisor for the Auckland (N.Z.) Council, addressed Opportunity 10: “We must give young professionals effective opportunities to learn, develop, and lead.” Dobbie and Mackenzie cofounded the International Network … Continue reading Let’s Work Together →

Clockwise from top left: Stephen Wyber, policy and advocacy manager.for IFLA; May Chang; Helga Schwarz; and Sandy Hirsh

Blockchain in a flash

By Amy Carlton | August 28, 2018

Helga Schwarz, corresponding member of the IT section, opened with a quick tutorial on blockchain and how it works. Possible uses for the technology include decentralized energy use, e-payments, research data management, and real estate transactions. Disadvantages include its slow speed, massive energy use, inability to delete transactions (even inaccurate or illegal ones), and overall … Continue reading Blockchain in a flash →

“Marrakesh Treaty in Force” presenters, from left: Hiroshi Kawamura, Victoria Owen, Dipendra Manocha, and moderator Kirsi Ylänne.

Marrakesh and More

By Amy Carlton | August 28, 2018

Victoria Owen, chief librarian at the University of Toronto Scarborough, provided an overview of several guides on Marrakesh implementation—published by IFLA, Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL), the World Blind Union (WBU), and other organizations—and their target audiences and purposes. Some guides are geared for libraries and librarians, while others are more suited for government decision … Continue reading Marrakesh and More →

Muy Cheng Peich, director of education, contents, and training for Libraries Without Borders, describes the Ideas Box at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Safe Spaces and Social Media

By Amy Carlton | August 27, 2018

Leonee Ariel Derr, team leader at Stonnington Library and Information Service in Melbourne, Australia, came down squarely against the safe-space idea, explaining through examples drawn from her many years working in several Melbourne-area public libraries that safety for patrons and staff—whether physical or emotional—cannot be guaranteed. The risks of working in an all-welcoming public space … Continue reading Safe Spaces and Social Media →

Multiple IFLA leaders take the stage in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From left: Claudia Lux, IFLA Secretary General Gerald Leitner, Ellen Tise, Sinikka Sipilä, Ingrid Parent, Glòria Pérez-Salmerón, and Donna Scheeder.

IFLA President’s Program Reunites Leaders

By Amy Carlton | August 26, 2018

Traditionally libraries have looked to the past: collections, archives, and access to existing information. However, she said, libraries have an obligation to create citizens, not consumers. What do the citizens of the future need? Touching on themes from her Opening Session address, Pérez-Salmerón urged delegates to resist passivity and maintain optimism despite social, political, and … Continue reading IFLA President’s Program Reunites Leaders →

Gamelan musicians perform at the 2018 IFLA WLIC Opening Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

IFLA Honors the Transformative Power of Libraries

By Amy Carlton | August 26, 2018

The congress theme, “Transform Libraries, Transform Societies,” includes the tagline “Reaching out to the hard to reach.” Many sessions and programs this year are emphasizing the role of libraries in national development. There are also strategies for increasing awareness of the value and impact of library services. “Libraries must continually innovate and evolve to best … Continue reading IFLA Honors the Transformative Power of Libraries →

Council III: Memorials, Tributes, Resolutions

By Amy Carlton | June 26, 2018

Memorials were read for Herbert Biblo (M#7), Heather Lanier (M#8), John Byrum (M#9), Mary Lynette Larsgaard (M#10), Bernard (Bernie) A. Margolis (M#11), deg farrelly (M#12), Krista McKenzie (M#13), and Stephanie Squicciarini (M#14). Tributes were offered to honor the 50th ALA anniversary of Lois Ann Gregory-Wood (T#4), to mark the retirement of Pat May (T#5), and … Continue reading Council III: Memorials, Tributes, Resolutions →

President’s Program Speakers Address Citizenship through Poetry, Memoir

By Amy Carlton | June 25, 2018

Smith has been traveling around the US, but instead of reading at the usual bookstores and college campuses, she’s been hitting public libraries, churches, and community centers. She said the sense of gathering in these spaces has been intimate and inspiring. For example, she read her work in a men’s rehab facility, and although the … Continue reading President’s Program Speakers Address Citizenship through Poetry, Memoir →

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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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