Author Archive: Emily Wagner

Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to Invest in Libraries graphic, with red and white text on black background

Library Advocates Stay in Motion

February 10 may feel like 100 years ago, but that date marked—for a fourth consecutive year—the administration’s threat to eliminate all library funding from the federal budget. As ever, library advocates responded with emphatic determination. The annual campaign to gather support for the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program began with ALA’s annual fly-in, the timing of which aligned with the … Continue reading Library Advocates Stay in Motion →

States Act on Ebooks

On March 3, library advocates in New York sent 10,000 letters to state lawmakers as part of a public campaign in response to recent efforts to limit library access to ebooks. The letters, drafted by the New York Library Association in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), were in support of legislation that would require publishers who … Continue reading States Act on Ebooks →

Advocates in Motion to #FundLibraries

By Emily Wagner and Kevin Maher | March 3, 2020

For the fourth year in a row, the Trump administration has called for the elimination of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), currently funded at $195.4 million, and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL), a school library-eligible program through the Department of Education, currently funded at $27 million. Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Susan Collins … Continue reading Advocates in Motion to #FundLibraries →

Incoming ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall addresses attendees at the second annual library advocacy fly-in in Washington, D.C., February 10.

Doubling Down on Strategic Library Advocacy

By Emily Wagner | February 13, 2020

This year, the fly-in aligned with the release of the White House budget proposal for FY2021, which—for a fourth consecutive year—lays out the closure of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). ALA responded to the budget proposal with a statement and call to action, and ALA’s incoming Executive Director Tracie D. Hall opened … Continue reading Doubling Down on Strategic Library Advocacy →

August Is for Advocacy

By Emily Wagner | July 24, 2019

As you may have heard in the news, the Trump administration appears to be moving forward with a budget deal, after weeks of negotiations between congressional leaders and White House officials. The agreement currently includes increased or level funding for most domestic and defense programs. In May, the House included significant increases in their funding, … Continue reading August Is for Advocacy →

The “Libraries Educate Today's Workforce for Tomorrow's Careers” panel held on August 9 in Cleveland. From left: Ryan Burgess, director of the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation; Shontel Brown, Cuyahoga County Council representative for district 9; Mick Munoz, a former Marine and Ohio library patron; Denise Reading, CEO of GetWorkerFIT; and Jeff Patterson, CEO of Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority; and moderator Russ Mitchell, WKYC-TV anchor and managing editor.

How Libraries Bridge the Employment Gap

By Emily Wagner | August 14, 2018

The discussion—which focused on libraries as an essential component in creating, sustaining, and retaining a viable workforce—brought together leaders from all levels of government and community nonprofits. The program took place at Rakuten OverDrive headquarters in Cleveland and was cosponsored by Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Ohio Library Council, and ALA. It is the … Continue reading How Libraries Bridge the Employment Gap →

Esti Brennan (left) teaches a class in the DCPL’s central branch lab space. Photo: DCPL

Making Space for Libraries on Capitol Hill during National Library Week

By Emily Wagner | April 6, 2018

To invite members of Congress and their staffers into the world of library makerspaces, the Washington Office is working with DC Public Library (DCPL) to bring its Fab Lab to Capitol Hill in an event hosted by Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.Mex.) on Wednesday, April 11. Luján is a participant of the Congressional Maker Caucus, … Continue reading Making Space for Libraries on Capitol Hill during National Library Week →

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) receives an award from the National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training on the 20th anniversary of the E-Rate program.

Celebrating 20 Years of E-Rate

By Emily Wagner | January 30, 2018

The event brought retired senator and E-Rate champion John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) back to Washington for the first time since January 2015. “How could I not be here for this?” he said. “The start of E-Rate was an amazing effort,” Rockefeller said. “It was a day of bipartisanship, and E-Rate was the most bipartisan program ever … Continue reading Celebrating 20 Years of E-Rate →

Wake Up Call rally outside the FCC offices, December 14. Photo by Emily Wagner

Shoulder to Shoulder with Net Rights Advocates

By Emily Wagner | December 15, 2017

UPDATE: Tell Congress to restore net neutrality through this ALA Action Alert. As expected, the FCC voted 3–2 along party lines to repeal the 2015 Net Neutrality Order, which required internet service providers (like Verizon or Comcast) to offer equal access to all web content without charging more for faster delivery or giving preferential treatment … Continue reading Shoulder to Shoulder with Net Rights Advocates →

Hispanic Heritage Month from Google's Latino Cultures platform

Latino Cultures Platform a New Library Resource

By Emily Wagner | September 7, 2017

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins September 15, Google Cultural Institute has collaborated with more than 35 museums and institutions to launch a new platform on September 7 within Google Arts & Culture: Latino Cultures. The platform brings more than 2,500 Latino cultural artifacts online and—through immersive storytelling, 360-degree virtual tours, ultra-high-resolution … Continue reading Latino Cultures Platform a New Library Resource →

A librarian mentor talks with interns in a speed-mentoring round at the Public Library Association’s Inclusive Internship Initiative kickoff in Washington, D.C. Photo: Tracey Salazar

The Next Generation of Librarians

By Emily Wagner | June 22, 2017

“How do you overcome the difficulties and hardships that come along the way?” “Why are conversations about race so difficult?” These were only some of the insightful questions asked by the 50 teenagers participating in the inaugural cohort of the Inclusive Internship Initiative (III). Made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and … Continue reading The Next Generation of Librarians →

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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.
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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
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Michelle Ehrhardt writes: “Like the Metaverse and NFTs before it, it feels near impossible to follow tech news right now without hearing about Artificial Intelligence (AI). I understand it can get annoying: The tech is still in development, and everyone’s still figuring out the ethics of generating AI Art, or how to make it not suck. It’s tempting to write AI off entirely. There are a few key use cases I’ve found where AI shines better than pretty much any other alternative. As an AI skeptic, here’s where I think AI is most useful.”

Lifehacker, Oct. 28
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Katherine Klosek writes: “The Librarian of Congress—based on recommendations by the register of copyrights—issued an expansion to the 2021 Digital Millennium Copyright Act regulation that permits researchers to circumvent technological protection measures to conduct text and data mining research. The updated regulation clarifies that academic researchers can securely access research collections of literary works or motion pictures hosted by other institutions of higher education for purposes of collaboration, or to facilitate their own independent research projects.”

Association of Research Libraries News, Oct. 28
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Michele Gile and Matthew Rodriguez write: “A group of Huntington Beach (Calif.) residents known as ‘Protect HB’ said they’ve gathered enough valid signatures to try repealing a new ordinance that could impact which books are put on public library shelves. More than 15,000 people have signed a petition that’s headed to the city clerk. If valid, voters will decide whether the city council majority’s community parent-garden review board [which has relocated books on puberty and potty training to the adult section] will exist.”

KCAL-TV (Los Angeles), Oct. 28
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Robin Camille Davis writes: “Three things are certain in this world: death, taxes, and librarians sending out surveys. We are a patron-focused profession, and we crave user feedback. Moreover, some of us yearn for peer feedback for articles we write or hypotheses we test. When you create a survey—if you haven’t yet, it’s just a matter of time—there are a few things you should keep in mind. These tips will improve your survey and help make it more likely that people will respond.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Oct. 23
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Danika Ellis writes: “Halloween approaches! Even if you’re not usually a horror reader, this is the perfect time to dip your toe in those bloody waters. Especially when it comes to horror books, immersing yourself entirely in the story by reading it all at once allows the tension to build more effectively, and reading late into the night invites your rational brain to take a back seat while your lizard brain panics at the strange sound you just heard. If you’d like to give it a try, I’ve selected eight horror books you can read cover-to-cover on Halloween.”

Book Riot, Oct. 28

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