Author Archive: Maryann James-Daley

South by Southwest Interactive panelists Kathryn Finney (left), founder of DigitalUndivided, and Kimberly Bryant, founder and executive director of Black Girls Code Photo: Maryann James-Daley

Closing Tech’s Diversity Gap

By Maryann James-Daley | March 15, 2017

But how are we doing? What is the state of inclusion in technology, and what work is left to do? Two panels at South by Southwest Interactive on March 11 in Austin, Texas, tackled some of these questions. Inclusion and funding “Inclusion and the Digital Neighborhood” panelists Kimberly Bryant, founder and executive director of Black Girls … Continue reading Closing Tech’s Diversity Gap →

The Path to Mars

By Maryann James-Daley | March 14, 2017

At the “Humans, Robots, and Microbes: The Challenge of Mars” panel on March 10, NASA scientists Monsi Roman, Robert Ambrose, and Kimberly Hambuchen and National Geographic Mars miniseries producer Jonathan Silberberg discussed the challenges and opportunities that lie among microbes, humans, and robots in getting to Mars. “Microbes are an incredible factory of harm,” said Roman, microbiologist and … Continue reading The Path to Mars →

People on the streets of Austin, Texas, and on the SxSW exhibit hall floor show their support for libraries with their new lib*interactive tattoos.

Ideas and Inspiration: Day Four of SXSW

By Maryann James-Daley | March 17, 2015

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I had breakfast at the modern marvel that is the Lamar Whole Foods (no kidding, the flagship store is an awe-inspiring stop for out-of-towners) and then started my day with a bunch of my favorite people: librarians! The meet-up welcomed librarians and librarian-friendly technologists from across the globe, and the … Continue reading Ideas and Inspiration: Day Four of SXSW →

The author and a squirrel take a break from South by Southwest.

Libraries, Robots, and Squirrels … Oh My! Day Three at SXSW

By Maryann James-Daley | March 16, 2015

Libraries There were two sessions on Sunday that highlighted the awesome events taking place at libraries across the country: “Coworking, Collaborating, Creating at Your Library,” featuring Larra Clark, deputy director of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy; Jon Marino, director of content and strategy at MapStory; and my colleague at DC Public Library Nick Kerelchuk, … Continue reading Libraries, Robots, and Squirrels … Oh My! Day Three at SXSW →

Geeking Out at SXSW: Day Two

By Maryann James-Daley | March 15, 2015

After my revised Saturday plan to go to an informal librarian breakfast meet-up was derailed, I found myself in the Austin Convention Center, standing in a common area in front of a tray full of Legos. What a wonderful way to jumpstart your day (and brain) with a little free-building. Little did I know that … Continue reading Geeking Out at SXSW: Day Two →

SXSW: Day One

By Maryann James-Daley | March 14, 2015

If I could describe this event/place, I’d say take ALA, subtract a little bit of the cat fanaticism, add some people in squirrel suits, branding on every building in downtown, and a mess of tech and art geeks. Put in a blender and serve. This is my first “South by” (pro tip: You don’t call … Continue reading SXSW: Day One →

Latest Library Links

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Katie Gaddini writes: “Book bans may have mushroomed in the Trump era of reactionary politics, but they have a well-established history in America. One woman in particular, Norma Gabler, redefined the current strategy and logic behind modern book bans. Called ‘education’s public enemy number one,’ by critics in 1980, Gabler led the crusade against the so-called secular trend in school textbooks throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Even though Norma and her husband Mel worked together, Norma was the public face of their efforts for decades.”

Time: Made By History, Nov. 13
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Many members know Bill Ladewski as executive director of the Reference and User Services Association, an ALA position he has held since 2019. In early September, Ladewski added another title to his CV: director of Member Relations and Services. In this role, he and his team are charged with providing service and information to the Association’s nearly 50,000 members. Ladewski answered our 11 Questions to reintroduce himself to the ALA community.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 19
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John Warner writes: “I understand what people mean when they invoke the term ‘institutional neutrality,’ but I don’t know how it’s workable in today’s world. Higher education institutions are built upon a foundation of actual values, values that are, by definition, not neutral. The Kalven report, the Rosetta Stone of institutional neutrality produced by a faculty committee at the University of Chicago in 1967, is not a call to make all work emanating from an institution ‘neutral,’ but is instead a call to make the atmosphere for scholarly inquiry and debate as free as possible.”

Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 15
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Angela Hursh writes: “Ever wondered how your library’s email performance compares to others? Benchmarks help you understand how well your emails perform in key areas and identify opportunities for improvement. They also allow you to compare your email marketing performance, set goals, and stay on top of trends. However, the lack of industry benchmarks for email marketing metrics specific to libraries has been bugging me. Metrics from similar industries don’t fully capture the unique aspects of promoting a library. To help libraries accurately measure their email effectiveness, we’ve created the first-ever library email benchmark report.”

NoveList, Oct. 22
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Rachel Hendrick writes: “Students and library vendors are pushing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in higher education, but there are very few resources that help librarians and scholars separate the wheat from the chaff. Luckily, we here at Choice love a good assessment rubric. (In fact, we made a PDF of our assessment rubric.) Even the least tech-savvy of us can use a very simple AI literacy framework to think critically about whether an AI application is worth your time.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Nov. 13
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Rowana Miller writes: “In my experience, many young library-goers identify as storytellers but not writers. These are the kids who draw Captain-Underpants-style cartoons, who craft meticulous Minecraft universes, and who plot elaborate Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, but who believe that ‘writing’ is limited to five-paragraph essays. But when children draw the connections between their natural storytelling proclivities and the written word, they can become self-motivated to develop the communication skills that will help them for the rest of their lives. Libraries, I believe, are uniquely positioned to help children make this connection.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 15
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ALA has reopened its search for an executive director in partnership with executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. A committee of ALA member leaders will oversee the search. The selected candidate will succeed Interim Executive Director Leslie Burger, who was appointed in November 2023. “We are excited to embark on our search for a new executive director,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl. “This leadership position is critical as we navigate the years ahead. We seek candidates who have knowledge of the library community and the urgent issues we face.”

ALA Communications, Marketing, and Media Relations Office, Nov. 14

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