How do you archive a robot? This is the question that Kathleen Donahoe, robot archive processing archivist at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Libraries in Pittsburgh, and a team of archivists, roboticists, and preservation experts seek to answer through the Robotics Project, which launched in 2019. “There are just so many layers to how a robotics … Continue reading Bookend: Completing the Circuit
All signs pointed to Philip Espe joining the Marines. The 34-year-old comes from a long line of military family members. But he also had a calling in music. Espe studied clarinet performance, earned a master’s of music in orchestral conducting, and directed community and youth orchestras. He used those skills when serving as a youth … Continue reading Bookend: Marching Full Circle
“We’d find shards of microfilm on the floor,” said Tracy Seneca, UIC’s head of digital program services. The collection was scanned in 2018, but the scans were no easier to search than the microfilm—you still needed to know the exact address, she said. Seneca is now helping UIC make searchable, online digital records of its … Continue reading Scrappy Mapping
“And then chaos ensued,” said Christy Lau, senior children’s librarian at Chatham Square. “But not really.” Lau, along with Olisha James, the Teen Reading Ambassador Program manager and Rachel Roseberry, NYPL’s associate director of young adult programs and services, shared how the program has supported and connected youth and library staff. “Near-Peer Leadership at the … Continue reading Connecting Near-Peers
Robbie Barber, teacher-librarian at Tucker (Ga.) High School, shared some of the ways she engages students in digital image literacy in her session “Picture This! The Literacy of Digital Images” at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 26. “The more knowledge and experience people have, the better they … Continue reading That Light Looks Weird
The session “From Pandemic to Endemic: Global Experiences and Perspectives on an OCLC New Model Library Framework” brought together library workers from three continents alongside members of the research team who created the model to explore commonalities and key differences in how international libraries experienced the pandemic. Clara M. Chu, director of the Mortenson Center … Continue reading A Global New Normal
While game jams—or accelerated game creation events—started as a way to develop video games, they’re also useful for creating tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs). The best-known TTRPG systems, like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu, include rulebooks that can run to hundreds of pages and have steep price tags, but there are a host … Continue reading Jam Forever
Delaney moderated the “Core Top Ten Technology Trends: Libraries Take On ChatGPT” panel Saturday, June 24, at American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. Four panelists from public, academic, and school libraries shared thoughts on what library workers should know about the technology, how it’s being used, and the potential risks and … Continue reading Information Literacy for the ChatGPT Age
Diverse BookFinder Collection Analysis Tool User: Andrea Stark, director at Monroe (Maine) Community Library What is the Diverse BookFinder Collection Analysis Tool (DBF CAT)? How does it work? Diverse BookFinder is a comprehensive database of children’s picture books featuring characters who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color. It is continually updated and includes books published … Continue reading Building Diverse Collections
Founded in 2017, RAR’s goal has been to make cycling more accessible for riders who are femme, transgender, women, nonbinary, Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The RAR-ATL Gear Library—which has a searchable online catalog with photos—is the work of Cruz, Hannah Griggs (center), and Devin Cowens (right). The trio has devoted dozens of hours … Continue reading Riders’ Advisory
Experia USA Interactive Game Floor User: Deborah Long, assistant director, Louisville (Ohio) Public Library What is the Experia USA interactive game floor? The game floor uses a computer with a motion sensor and a projector to display educational and sensory games on a foam mat. The motion sensor allows the software to react to the … Continue reading Good Vibrations
At “Ethnographic Design: Creating Culturally Centered Library Spaces,” Huberty and David Vinjamuri, adjunct associate professor of marketing at New York University, discussed how they apply ethnographic design in new libraries and remodeling projects. They were joined by community librarian Julie Retherford from Chetco Community Public Library in Brookings, Oregon, who shared her experiences from a … Continue reading Avoid the Cookie-Cutter Library
