The Scoop

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Insider’s Guide to Seattle
January 18, 2019
In Episode 34, we get tips on where to eat, what to see, and what to do during Midwinter. First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski talks with travel guru Rick Steves about his favorite off-the-beaten path sights in the Seattle area. Then Dankowski speaks with Tori Mann, chef at Seattle restaurant Lola, about her favorite spots … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Insider’s Guide to Seattle →
Census Resources for Libraries
By Gavin Baker and Larra Clark | January 15, 2019
Libraries across the country will offer information about the Census and provide technology access to residents completing it online for the first time. Some questions to consider: Will your library need additional computers for residents to complete their Census questionnaire online? Will you work with other community stakeholders to present meetings or programming to inform … Continue reading Census Resources for Libraries →
Dewey Decibel Podcast: Writers on Writing
December 21, 2018
In Episode 33, American Libraries’ editors speak with an array of authors about the inspirations behind their new books and the importance of libraries in their lives. Interviews include actor Sally Field (In Pieces), Bill Nye the Science Guy (Jack and the Geniuses series), poet and novelist Elizabeth Acevedo (The Poet X), journalists Jonathan Eig (Ali: … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Writers on Writing →
Museum and Library Services Act Passes
By Kathi Kromer | December 20, 2018
Thanks to the persistence of American Library Association (ALA) members and bipartisan support of congressional leaders who introduced the legislation, Congress is currently on record as saying that America’s libraries are a national priority. ALA thanks Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Jack Reed … Continue reading Museum and Library Services Act Passes →
Museum and Library Services Act Stalls in House
By Kevin Maher | December 14, 2018
In closed-door meetings in November, the House and Senate negotiated a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to move MLSA (S. 3530) forward. The Senate, with the assent of the library community, accepted changes requested by the House Republican majority prior to the bill passing the Senate on December 4 by unanimous consent. In return, the House committed … Continue reading Museum and Library Services Act Stalls in House →

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E-Content Challenges Ahead
By Alan S. Inouye | December 14, 2018
As ALA’s senior director of public policy and government relations, I joined ALA president Loida Garcia-Febo and Sari Feldman, senior policy fellow and past president of ALA and executive director of the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Public Library, for separate meetings with Hachette Book Group, Penguin Random House, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, the Book … Continue reading E-Content Challenges Ahead →
Lame-Duck Library Advocacy
By Kathi Kromer | December 6, 2018
Passage of the MLSA would reauthorize the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), reinforcing the agency—and America’s libraries—as a priority for the federal government. The proposed MLSA mirrors the previous authorization, which expired in 2016. The new legislation authorizes IMLS through 2025 and contains improvements to enable more libraries on tribal lands to participate … Continue reading Lame-Duck Library Advocacy →
2018 I Love My Librarian Winners Announced
December 4, 2018
“Our nation’s librarians work tirelessly and selflessly to better lives in their communities,” American Library Association (ALA) President Loida Garcia-Febo said in a December 3 statement. “I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to this year’s I Love My Librarian Award recipients. I stand in awe of their contributions to transforming lives through courage, … Continue reading 2018 I Love My Librarian Winners Announced →
Sharing Space
By Sally Stieglitz | November 30, 2018
The NASA Social program, originally called NASA Tweetups, began in 2009 and has included thousands of participants for events that range from several hours to two days. NASA “socialites” receive the same access to press events as journalists—with additional exclusive behind-the-scenes access to NASA facilities, scientists, and engineers—and are encouraged to use their social media … Continue reading Sharing Space →
Dewey Decibel Podcast: Get a Job!
November 27, 2018
First, ALA Editions acquisitions editor and Dewey Decibel contributor Jamie Santoro speaks with Caitlin Williams, author of Be Opportunity-Minded: Start Growing Your Career Now (ALA Editions, 2019), about tips for those on the job hunt and job market trends. Next, Dewey Decibel host and American Libraries associate editor Phil Morehart talks with David Connolly, recruitment … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Get a Job! →
California Libraries in Wildfires’ Wake
By Timothy Inklebarger | November 16, 2018
“Miraculously, the Paradise branch of the Butte County Library system is still standing,” says Butte County Library Director Melanie Lightbody, noting that it’s one of the only remaining structures in the town. The remaining five branches in the system are still operational and have become information centers, offering computers, Wi-Fi, and printers to help displaced … Continue reading California Libraries in Wildfires’ Wake →
Focusing on Teen Needs
By Jamie Santoro | November 7, 2018
Three key takeaways from the symposium: Students need computational thinking (CT) to succeed. YALSA 2018 Symposium attendees had an opportunity to experience CT in action in “It’s True: Computational Thinking and Libraries Are a Perfect Match,” an interactive session led by Marijke Visser, associate director and senior policy advocate for the American Library Association’s Public … Continue reading Focusing on Teen Needs →

Latest Library Links

7h

Los Angeles teachers are poised to end their first strike in 30 years after union leaders reached a tentative deal January 22 with the L.A. Unified School District. The board of education is expected to move quickly to ratify the deal, which must be officially approved by United Teachers Los Angeles through a vote of its members. A system is in place that could allow members to vote within a matter of hours, meaning teachers are likely to be back at work on January 23. The tentative deal includes what amounts to a 6% raise for teachers.

Los Angeles Times, Jan. 22
11h

Aaron Tay writes: “Every year, everyone from students to researchers and copywriters employed by publishers spend thousands of hours beating citations into shape. Is this really necessary? If you have ever helped university freshman in writing courses, one of the things you notice is how much anguish they have over citation styles and how many requests for help this generates. It doesn’t help that a lot of students merely Google and land on some site like the famous Purdue OWL site or use some librarian-created LibGuide that merely covers roughly what should be done; students get anxious when they inevitably run into cases not covered by those guides.”

Musings About Librarianship, Jan. 15
12h

Lucian Kim writes: “The Chistye Prudy neighborhood is one of Moscow’s liveliest, with restaurants and cafés clustered along a boulevard with a tram line and grand old apartment buildings. Before the bars fill up in the evenings, the neighborhood’s most popular hangout is the Fyodor Dostoevsky Library, named for the 19th-century Russian writer. While young people huddle over laptops as city traffic growls past the large windows in the main reading hall, a theater group is rehearsing a play in another room. A constant stream of visitors comes through the entrance, with the front door banging behind them.”

NPR, Jan. 21
12h

Margaret Kingsbury writes: “One of the main joys of reading fantasy is experiencing entirely new worlds and ideas and magic. But when every fantasy novel is based on a pseudo-medieval Europe, it kind of defeats the point. That’s why I seek out fantasy from around the world. These 20 African fantasy novels explore entirely new worlds, utilize fun and inventive magic in our own world, or add surrealist twists to an otherwise normal setting.”

Book Riot, Jan. 22
13h

Chiquita Toure writes: “I set out to do something different with new titles and other books buried in-between shelves. This transformation of the physical library space, including new furniture and technology, was due to grants and budget increases. I wanted a style and aesthetic that resembled smaller bookstores and larger chains like Barnes & Noble. These places are visited by students because they provide good reads, Wi-Fi, and a comfortable community space. After a clean sweep and weeding of approximately 1,100 books, I was set to display some titles that students may have never noticed when looking through the online catalog system.”

Knowledge Quest blog, Jan. 22
13h

The Vancouver (B.C.) Public Library is among those calling on publishers to lower their prices and improve access to ebooks and e-audiobooks for Canadian libraries. VPL is joining the list of Canadian libraries calling on multinational publishers—including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster—to improve ebook pricing and access for Canadian libraries. According to Kay Cahill, VPL director of collections and technology, many popular titles aren’t available for sale in ebook format to Canada libraries.

Vancouver (B.C.) Province, Jan. 20
13h

Allison Mower writes: “On Martin Luther King Jr. Day we acknowledge the efforts made by King and others to dismantle the stultifying apartheid system in America, a system that placed severe restrictions not only on the physical and political freedom of black people, but also on intellectual freedom. The Jim Crow south not only meant separate drinking fountains and restrooms. It also meant separate libraries and books. Laws and local policies also placed restrictions on what could be published. Dr. King—as well as those who worked to build libraries and ensure that they be free to use—operated within this system and sought to get rid of it.”

Intellectual Freedom Blog, Jan. 21