Author Archive: Jeanne Drewes

Mary Miller assists with the rehousing of the Orange County (Fla.) Regional History Center media collection during the inaugural Preservation in Action (PIA) service project at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference. She is helping to preserve a film about the underwater "mermaid" performers at Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida. Photo: Jessica Bitely

Saving At-Risk Audiovisual Materials

By Jeanne Drewes | March 1, 2017

Libraries have been collecting audio and video for many years, and audiovisual librarians well know the value of voices and moving images. Within the profession itself, Technical Services Manager A. Arro Smith—author of Capturing Our Stories: An Oral History of Librarianship in Transition (ALA Editions, 2017)—has been chronicling the oral histories of retired librarians on … Continue reading Saving At-Risk Audiovisual Materials →

To Protect and Preserve

By Jeanne Drewes | April 22, 2013

The voice on the phone sounded exhausted. “I have lost my life’s work,” the man said. He was an artist who had his paintings stored in a basement somewhere in Lower Manhattan in New York City. It was November 2, 2012, four days after Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey coast, and the call came … Continue reading To Protect and Preserve →

Latest Library Links

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André Salkin writes: “A militant but peaceful protest movement is underway at Carlos Gilbert Elementary School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It started with a student petition and escalated to administration hearings, picket lines, and sit-in demonstrations. The movement’s aim? More library time. At the head of the protests is sixth grader Rainier Long, 12, an avid reader who was outraged to learn Carlos Gilbert Elementary would be cutting library time in half—to 30 minutes a week—this year to make more time for technology education.”

Santa Fe New Mexican, Nov. 9
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Timothy Peters writes: “Today’s organizations are making a concerted effort to demonstrate greater inclusivity in their workplace practices, processes, and larger cultures. Research has shown diverse organizations are more innovative, adaptable, and regarded as better places to work by current and potential employees. Systems thinking frames the organization as a single, interconnected and interdependent system, and abandons many of the traditional organizational concepts which stand in the way of inclusion. Through its emphasis on holism, fostering productive relationships, multidirectional communication, and transparency, systems thinking creates an organizational culture that actively includes and empowers.”

Library Leadership and Management, Oct. 2
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Small and rural libraries don’t always have the same resources and opportunities that urban libraries do. But they still have big ideas about how to serve their communities, and as we hear in Episode 98, they find ways to realize them. At Burlingame (Kans.) Community Library, sensory spaces and a new loanable resource collection are improving the lives of patrons with disabilities and their families. Meanwhile, at North Liberty (Iowa) Library, staffers are moderating discussions on hot-button topics that are getting community members to open up, listen to one another, and connect.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 11
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ALA announced on November 12 the six books shortlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. Established in 2012, the awards honor the previous year’s best fiction and nonfiction books written for adult readers and published in the US. The two Medal winners will be announced at 10:30 a.m. Mountain on January 26, 2025, at the livestreamed Reference and User Services Association Book and Media Awards during ALA’s LibLearnX conference in Phoenix.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 13
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Amy Katzenberger became director of ALA’s Development Office in early September. Among other fundraising activities, Katzenberger and her team have been shepherding the campaign for the Association’s 150th anniversary, which will culminate in 2026. Prior to joining ALA, Katzenberger worked at Riley Children’s Foundation in Indianapolis as director of foundation relations, where she secured millions of dollars in grants. Before Riley, she served as chief program officer for the American Camp Association. Early in her career, Katzenberger worked in ALA’s Conference Services department as a meetings and scheduling manager. She answered our 11 Questions to introduce herself to ALA members.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 12
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Kyle Werner writes: “State Librarian Michael Lynn Scott has been arrested and charged with dissemination of obscene material for allegedly sending lewd images to someone he thought was a 14-year-old boy but was actually a deputy. Police arrested Scott, 54, on November 6. He had been the state librarian since 2014. Scott was reported to have been messaging a minor on the messaging app KiK according to a criminal complaint. The conversation, allegedly initiated by Scott, began on August 13, police said. Brenda Hall was appointed the interim state librarian on November 7.”

Des Moines Register, Nov. 8
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Nick Tanzi writes: “Whenever an emerging technology arises, there are inevitably those who will question the value and relevance of the library. Throughout my career, I have heard some version of the refrain ‘Why do I need the library when I have:’ the World Wide Web, Google, ereaders, the iPad, or ChatGPT. In each instance, the library adopted and/or adapted to these technologies. As we enter the age of artificial intelligence, we can expect the same skeptical voices challenging the relevance of our institutions. A closer look at the library and our brand reveals that their value has only grown.”

The Digital Librarian, Nov. 7

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