Curbside Communicator Unique’s Curbside Communicator automates curbside pickups for holds and creates a simple communication link between patrons and library staff to facilitate the process. Rather than requiring patrons to reserve a time slot in advance, Curbside Communicator allows patrons to arrive anytime during designated hours and use their mobile devices to check in and … Continue reading Don’t Touch
Infobase Infobase is one of the largest providers of streaming services to libraries. Its Films on Demand service provides more than 42,000 streaming videos to academic libraries on a variety of subjects. Each video is divided into searchable segments, and users can create and bookmark their own segments. Downloadable and searchable transcripts accompany each video, … Continue reading Arts Online
In “Serving the Transgender Community: It’s More Than Just Bathrooms!,” an American Library Association (ALA) Virtual program sponsored by the ALA Rainbow Round Table and moderated by Deb Sica, deputy county librarian at Alameda County, panelists discussed things libraries can do to serve the needs of the transgender community. Transgender and nonbinary members of the … Continue reading Serving the Transgender Community
With Tasha Spillett-Sumner, author of the Surviving the City graphic novel series, Gharib discussed the role of the comics industry in this historic moment of uprisings against white supremacy and structural inequality at “A Comics History in the Making,” moderated by Alea Perez, president of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Graphic Novels and Comics Round … Continue reading This Moment in Comics
Lorin Flores and Michael Dunbar-Rodney, librarians at San Antonio (Tex.) Public Library, discussed how libraries can take advantage of these emerging online streaming platforms to reach new audiences and expand digital services during the COVID-19 pandemic in their ALA Virtual 2020 session, “Twitch and Discord in Public Libraries: New Opportunities for Adult Services.” Twitch, a … Continue reading How Libraries Can Use Discord and Twitch
At “Breaking the Rules of Graphic Novels,” a discussion at ALA Virtual on June 25 sponsored by BOOM! Studios and moderated by Filip Sablik, its president of publishing and marketing, panelists explored the ways comics are breaking free of their reputation and appealing to ever-larger audiences. The past reputation of comic books isn’t wholly unearned. … Continue reading Breaking the Rules of Graphic Novels
Hong Yao, president-elect of the Chinese American Librarians Association and director of technical services at Queens (N.Y.) Public Library, moderated a discussion on increasing engagement and investment in archives and community education during “Treasure Hunters at Libraries? Why Not!!,” a June 24 session at ALA Virtual 2020. A map to the best information Accurate, timely … Continue reading Treasures to Take Home
Here we offer insights and predictions from five library thinkers who shared their perspectives at the Symposium on the Future of Libraries during the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2020 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. From core values such as privacy and sustainability to more novel innovations such as the use of robots, we explore what the … Continue reading What the Future Holds
Hover Camera Passport The Hover Camera Passport is a lightweight, foldable drone for personal photography designed for a simple, automated user experience. Weighing 242 grams (8.5 ounces), it is just below the FAA registration weight limit and folds into the shape of a VHS tape. While most drones rely on controllers—whether standalone or through an … Continue reading A Drone’s-Eye View
Auralex portable acoustic treatments Room acoustics are easy to overlook, but the layout and shape of spaces noticeably affect the quality of audio recordings. Auralex offers a range of portable, lightweight, freestanding acoustic dampeners so you can create a temporary recording space for vocal work in an existing room without committing to permanent modifications. The … Continue reading Cast and Release
Immersive classrooms—spaces that use large displays and interactive elements to simulate environments—have been in use at large academic institutions for years. They generally require expensive screens, projectors, and interactive devices as well as expert-level development to design and adapt content. However, Fort Hays (Kans.) State University (FHSU) received a National Leadership Grant from the Institute … Continue reading Immersive Classrooms for All
Jung and Renee Albrecht-Mallinger, senior design researcher at IA Collaborative, hosted a reading group at a collaborative art space in Chicago to address climate change through speculative design, with an end goal of creating an art piece that would engage people and get them to think more deeply about the topic. Jung spoke about the … Continue reading Exploring Speculative Design
