Author Archive: Phil Morehart

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Escape Rooms and the AASL Standards

By Phil Morehart | December 11, 2017

In Episode 20, we explore practical applications of the new Standards. First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Marcia Mardis, associate professor and assistant dean of interdisciplinary research and education in the College of Communication and Information at Florida State University and chair of the Standards editorial board, about … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Escape Rooms and the AASL Standards →

A Conversation with Authors Candice Benjes-Small and Rebecca Kate Miller

By Phil Morehart | November 15, 2017

What made you want to write this book? Candice Benjes-Small: One of my new librarians, Katelyn Tucker Burton, suggested we present at some regional conferences about our library’s training program for instruction. The response was overwhelming. Our presentations were packed, and attendees shared over and over how they had been thrown head first into the … Continue reading A Conversation with Authors Candice Benjes-Small and Rebecca Kate Miller →

Creating Connections to Reach Students

By Phil Morehart | November 14, 2017

YA author Jason Reynolds (Patina, Ghost) opened the day with a profound and often funny general session talk about humility, intimacy, and gratitude, and how the expression of each can leads kids to reading. Reynolds came about the realization in an unlikely manner: by watching The Steve Harvey Show with his mother. Reynolds admitted that … Continue reading Creating Connections to Reach Students →

Screenshot from a video introducing the new AASL Standards.

Introducing the Standards

By Phil Morehart | November 14, 2017

“These Standards are a commitment to our future, our teachers, and our students,” said AASL Executive Director Sylvia Knight Norton at the morning general session. “These are our Standards; these are your Standards.” To illustrate the point, Norton had attendees who had worked on the editorial board stand up, followed by those who had been … Continue reading Introducing the Standards →

Jaime Casap, chief education evangelist at Google, talks to librarians in the exhibit hall after his keynote talk on the first day of the 2017 AASL National Conference and Exhibition in Phoenix.

Technology at the Forefront of Education

By Phil Morehart | November 13, 2017

Jaime Casap, education evangelist at Google, opened the 2017 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Conference and Exhibition, held November 9–11 in Phoenix, with an examination of the evolving state of education in the US and how it has changed—for better and for worse—with the advance of technology. The future is now, Casap says, … Continue reading Technology at the Forefront of Education →

A team returns a restored mural to the wall in Boston Public Library’s Bates Hall.

Saving Our Murals

By Phil Morehart | November 1, 2017

It’s one of three murals in the library’s entryway, painted by artist John Theodore Jacobsen when the art deco building opened in 1934. Jacobsen was also a preeminent architect, helping lay the groundwork for Pacific Northwest modernism. But the mural was almost lost forever to water damage following a storm that hit the library during … Continue reading Saving Our Murals →

Karen Munro, author of Tactical Urbanism for Librarians: Quick, Low-Cost Ways to Make Big Changes

A Conversation with Author Karen Munro

By Phil Morehart | September 14, 2017

What made you want to write this book? For the past nine years, I’ve been a liaison to architecture faculty and students at the University of Oregon. I became interested in urban design and tactical urbanism through my work with them, and I couldn’t help but wonder how those concepts and approaches would transfer to … Continue reading A Conversation with Author Karen Munro →

Author Lance Conrad delivers a keynote speech at the 2017 Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference. Photo: ARSL

ARSL 2017 Conference: Days Two and Three

By Phil Morehart | September 13, 2017

The Friday and Saturday keynote speakers did much to accentuate the feeling of togetherness. Blind musician/motivation speaker Clint Lewis and YA sci-fi/fantasy authors Brandon Mull (Fablehaven) and Lance Conrad (Price of Creations) praised their hosts and delivered talks that stressed the importance of following your passions and not being afraid to fail. The speakers—all Utah … Continue reading ARSL 2017 Conference: Days Two and Three →

ARSL attendees send condolences to Clovis-Carver Public Library in Clovis, New Mexico, where two library workers were killed on August 28 when a gunman opened fire in the library.

ARSL 2017 Conference: Day One

By Phil Morehart | September 8, 2017

The 2017 conference has already broken ARSL conference records. More than 550 librarians from across the US are in attendance this year, according to Julie Elmore, director of Oakland City-Columbia Township (Ind.) Public Library and an ARSL board member. These numbers are up from 503 attendees at the 2016 conference. The increased attendance produced a … Continue reading ARSL 2017 Conference: Day One →

2017 Library Design Showcase

By Phil Morehart | September 1, 2017

Welcome to the 2017 Library Design Showcase, American Libraries’ annual celebration of new and renovated libraries. These are shining examples of innovative architectural feats that address user needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways. Renovations and expansions dominated this year, showing that libraries are holding on to and breathing new life into spaces already cherished … Continue reading 2017 Library Design Showcase →

National Library of Latvia, Riga Architect: Gunnar Birkerts Architects, Gelzis-Smits/Arhetips Photo: David Oldham

AIA/ALA Library Building Awards

By Phil Morehart | September 1, 2017

The following libraries are winners of the 2017 Library Building Awards, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association’s Library Leadership and Management Association. The biennial award recognizes the best in library architecture and design and is open to any architect licensed in the United States. Projects may be located anywhere … Continue reading AIA/ALA Library Building Awards →

City of Clovis (N.Mex.) Police Chief Douglas Ford speaks at a news conference August 28 regarding the shooting at Clovis-Carver Public Library that killed two librarians and injured four others. (Image: Reuters)

Gunman Opens Fire in New Mexico Library

By Phil Morehart | August 29, 2017

Updated August 30, 7:17 a.m. The gunman entered the library at approximately 4 p.m. and began shooting. According to news reports, police arrived at the library only minutes later and took the suspect into custody without force. The names of the victims have not been released, but Eastern New Mexico News has identified the two killed as … Continue reading Gunman Opens Fire in New Mexico Library →

Latest Library Links

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Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
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Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
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“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
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Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
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Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.
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In Episode 94, Call Number celebrates Preservation Week, to be held this year April 28–May 4. The week’s events aim to raise awareness of the role libraries and cultural institutions play in protecting historic and culturally significant collections. Segments include Traci Sorell, honorary chair of this year’s Preservation Week, discussing the role of preservation through storytelling; Kathleen Monahan, special collections public services supervisor at Boston Public Library, addressing the importance of security in preservation; and Rosie Grayburn and Melissa Tedone, cofounders of the Poison Book Project, talking about their research on potentially toxic bookbinding materials from the 19th century.

AL: The Scoop, Apr. 15
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Leigh Kunkel writes: “The legalization of marijuana in many states and municipalities in recent years has created a newly legal industry and budding entrepreneurs who can benefit from the expertise of business librarians. As soon as Washington state introduced an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2012, Seattle Public Library librarian Jay Lyman started fielding questions from potential entrepreneurs. Since then, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis use, and 14 more have legalized medical use of cannabis. This cultural shift brings a new opportunity for libraries to step in with support services.”

American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.

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