American Libraries Available Online to All

October 13, 2008

Finally! I’m happy to say that we’ve removed the login requirement to view the online archive of American Libraries, which includes all issues, including the current one, dating back to January 2003. The issues are available through ebrary, and you will need to download the ebrary reader if it’s your first visit. We got support to open access from the American Libraries Advisory, Membership, and Publishing committees at Annual in Anaheim this year, and we’re doing it now to correspond with the first Open Access Day, to be observed tomorrow, October 14. We’re also opening access to AL’s weekly newsletter, American Libraries Direct, which previously was limited to members as well. Nonmembers can now subscribe at www.ala.org/ala/alonline/aldirect/aldirect.cfm. Why the membership requirement in the first place? I wasn’t here for the original conversations regarding the magazine, but as I understand it, it goes back to a perceived need to provide member-only benefits. More directly: those who made the decision were concerned members thought American Libraries was the only benefit they received for their membership, so if it becomes available for free, they have no need to remain members. I can see a certain logic to that, even though I see a significant flaw in it: Even if it were true that AL is the only thing that members get for their membership, or if that were the widespread perception, locking down access doesn’t actually address either of those problems. It does, however (as many have commented) keep AL out of online conversations on blogs and other sites that can't link to something if it's locked behind password protection. This still isn’t a perfect solution; as I mentioned, you do need to download the ebrary reader in order to view the archives. (And there's a small incompatibility with Firefox 3, so if you use that browser, there's an extra workaround you'll have to do.) So I’m also pleased to be able to say that HTML is coming. January is our target date to start posting new issues in an HTML format.

Hurricane Recovery in Houston

Latest Library Links

11h

Bobbi L. Newman writes: “This week, an article from the BBC caught my attention: ‘Without support, many menopausal workers are quitting their jobs.’ Supporting employees going through menopause is important for those experiencing it and for everyone’s wellbeing. It reflects a commitment to employee wellbeing and a strategic approach to workforce management. Libraries can adopt strategies to support employees experiencing menopause, enhancing their wellbeing and workplace productivity. Remember, with all wellbeing, the goal is to support and empower staff to make the choices that best improve their health. Here are some practical approaches.”

Librarian by Day, Apr. 19; BBC, Apr. 9
17h

Libraries have a long history of helping to deliver on a wide variety of development goals, from literacy and school readiness to research productivity and urban cohesion. Their unique potential has been recognized not just by the governments or others that traditionally fund them, but also by a range of other funders, private and public alike. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has created a dataset to help librarians easily discover examples of private philanthropic grants, as well as other funding sources, that other libraries have been able to leverage.”

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Apr. 22
2d

Jackie Jennings writes: “It feels like the debate over whether #BookTok is bad has been raging since the moment the term was first coined. I’m starting off with a strong stance: BookTok is indeed bad. However, the problem with BookTok is not crappy books or bogus influencers. The problem with BookTok is TikTok itself. BookTok isn’t actually a community driven by fans, writers, influencers, or even publishers: it’s part of a social media corporation, controlled by the most mysterious, fickle god of all, the algorithm.” Not surprisingly, librarian recommendations can overcome some of BookTok’s limitations.

Jezebel, Apr. 18; Book Riot, Apr. 22
2d

ALA announced the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline grant program April 22. Over the next two years, 10 pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, or referral to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, as appropriate. State or school library associations or agencies wishing to either establish an Intellectual Freedom Helpline in their state or expand existing efforts may apply for $10,000 grants through July 14.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22
2d

In celebration of the release of his latest nonfiction title, The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians, bestselling author James Patterson is honoring select American Bookseller Association and American Library Association members with bonuses. He announced plans April 11 to give $200 each to 250 library workers across the country. The deadline for ALA members may nominate members to receive bonuses through April 30. Winners will be announced at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.
2d

Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In early 2020, when the world shut down for COVID, many people got interested in houseplants. Anne Arundel County (Md.) Public Library’s Crofton Library embraced this trend and then some!” While preparing to reopen after the COVID shutdown, the library installed plants at the information desk to discourage patrons from sticking their heads through gaps in newly installed acrylic shields. They were well received and cared for, and the library gradually added more plants and built educational tools, programming, and partnerships around the plants.

Public Libraries Online, Apr. 18
3d

Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7% of librarians in the US are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16

View more Latest Library Links

American Libraries Available Online to All

Share

Video: Stephen Chbosky

Hurricane Recovery in Houston