Blog | Page 48 of 220 | American Libraries Magazine

Escape for the Isolated

Dungeons & Dragons offers online realms of fantasy, adventure
By Timothy Inklebarger | November 2, 2020
Collecting Coronavirus Stories

Librarians and archivists around the country ask patrons to document history in the making
By Claire Zulkey | November 2, 2020
Black Caucus of the ALA Celebrates 50 Years

Members look at what’s ahead for Black librarianship
By Alison Marcotte | November 2, 2020
The Activist Life of E. J. Josey

Josey scholar discusses the trailblazer's impact on the library world
November 2, 2020
Let Them Lead

In a new age of protest, teen librarians support youth interests and activism
By Emily Udell | November 2, 2020
The Weight We Carry

Creating a trauma-informed library workforce
By Rebecca Tolley | November 2, 2020
By the Numbers: Teens and Libraries

Stats about teens, their reading habits, and their library spaces
By Alison Marcotte | November 2, 2020
Bookend: Conjuring a Collection
By Phil Morehart | November 2, 2020
Signing Stories

New narrative series features Deaf artists and their experiences
By Kristina Gomez | November 2, 2020
Drawing the Line

How libraries handle the legacy of racist murals
By Cass Balzer | November 2, 2020
The Great Outdoors

Libraries turn to drone delivery, outdoor browsing, and other alfresco services
By Anne Ford | November 2, 2020
The Missing Piece

Libraries use board games to encourage critical thinking in young people
By Diana Panuncial | November 2, 2020

Latest Library Links

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Emma Roth writes: “If you’ve ever wondered how the Internet Archive uploads all the physical documents on its site, now you can get a behind-the-scenes look at the process. The Internet Archive launched a new YouTube livestream that shows the digitization of microfiche in real time—complete with some relaxing, lo-fi beats. The livestream shows a close-up look at one of the five microfiche digitization stations at the organization’s Richmond, California, location, along with a look at the document that it’s working on. It runs from Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern.”

The Verge, May 22
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Saikat Basu writes: “Listening to audiobooks is great for multitasking. It helps me take ten-kilometer walks without boredom or wash that foamy pile of dishes. But, unlike a physical book, I struggled to remember most of what I heard. After trying different methods, I found simple ways to make audiobooks stick. It is a matter of being intentional and active while listening. It starts with choosing the right titles and then taking notes to set the stage for better memory. In between, adding visual summaries and creating action plans helps make audiobooks stick to your memory.”

MakeUseOf, May 27
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Mark Dahlquist writes: “A two-year pilot program at Miami University Libraries in Oxford, Ohio, tested a system developed in-library for digitally providing library users with semester-long licenses to access a student-oriented commercial cloud-based collaborative video editing tool (WeVideo) and explored the development of related learning resources and instructional sessions. Collected usage and survey data reveal a strongly positive user response to this tool and library service. Significant obstacles, including accessibility problems, were encountered during the pilot study. However, subsequent platform improvements may have mitigated or resolved many of these challenges.”

The Journal of Creative Library Practice, May 20
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Blake Brittain writes: “Shira Perlmutter, the US Copyright Office director fired by the Trump administration sued President Donald Trump and other government officials on May 22, arguing her firing was unconstitutional and should not be allowed to take effect.” According to Copyright Lately, Perlmutter’s motion for a temporary restraining order “lays out a broader purpose: to block what she portrays as an Executive Branch power grab—one that’s already disrupting operations, stalling critical policy work, and threatening the independence of the agency tasked with administering the nation’s copyright laws.”

Reuters, May 23; Copyright Lately, May 26
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Lizzie Ramirez writes: “Library board meetings have become ground zero for debates about banning certain books or making them harder for children to access. But Assemblywoman Brittney Miller (D-Las Vegas) is hoping to defuse the controversies through AB416, a bill that takes decisions about book removals out of local school and library officials’ hands and instead moving them to court. The bill would also criminalize trying to share sensitive information about library employees or threatening them as felonies.” The bill passed the Assembly May 21, but must pass several other legislative steps to become law.

Nevada Independent, May 22
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Mike Heuer writes: “A Texas public library did not violate patrons’ right to free speech by removing books due to their content, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled on May 23. The entire appellate court, in a 10–7 decision, overturned federal district court and appellate court rulings finding the Llano County (Tex.) Library System erred in removing 17 books due to their content. The majority decision also ruled that the library’s collection decisions are government speech and not subject to First Amendment–based free speech challenges.”

United Press International, May 24; Bloomberg Law, June 6, 2024
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On May 19, Teresa “Teri” Anderson became executive director of the Association of College and Research Libraries, one of the largest ALA divisions. Before joining ALA, Anderson spent more than three decades at ASIS International, a professional organization for security management professionals. She held several positions at the organization, most recently serving as vice president of innovation and outreach, a role in which she provided subject matter expertise and liaised with partners across the security industry. Anderson is a certified association executive through the American Society of Association Executives. She answered our 11 Questions to introduce herself to ALA members.

AL: The Scoop, May 27