Author Archive: Steven Smith

Avoiding the Path to Obsolescence

Blockbuster was much in the news last fall, though not in the favorable light it once enjoyed. The cultural phenomenon and former stock market darling that once prospered through aggressive marketing, savvy exploitation of technology, and keen insights into customer preferences filed for bankruptcy in September 2010. Though some analysts thought the filing could give … Continue reading Avoiding the Path to Obsolescence →

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Elisa Shoenberger writes: “The comics I grew up reading were those in the newspapers, and they were called the funny pages for a reason. In time, I began exploring the wider world of comic books, covering a wide variety of genres from superhero comics to horror. But I do have a fondness for the seeming simplicity of one to four-panel comics in the newspapers and webcomics for humor. For this list, I’ve put together my tribute to the funny pages. Most of the comics are short form comics, but a few are longer narratives.”

Book Riot, Nov. 11
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Jay Peters writes: “Bluesky gained more than 700,000 new users in the last week and now has more than 14.5 million users total, Bluesky COO Rose Wang confirmed to The Verge. The ‘majority’ of the new users on the decentralized social network are from the US, Wang says. The app is currently the number two free social networking app in the US App Store, only trailing Meta’s Threads. Instagram-bootstrapped Threads, which recently crossed 275 million monthly users, is still significantly larger than Bluesky. But the independent platform has seen a lot of growth in recent weeks.”

The Verge, Nov. 11
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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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