The Scoop

YALSA Symposium: Wellness and Community

Day 3 looks at health resources and talking circles
By Terra Dankowski | November 4, 2019
ALA Unveils 2020 Carnegie Medals Shortlist

Six finalists for excellence in fiction and nonfiction
November 4, 2019
YALSA Symposium: Approaches to Advocacy

LGBTQ programming, outside-the-box outreach, and trauma sensitivity
By Terra Dankowski | November 4, 2019
“Really YA” Tackles Real Issues

YALSA Symposium opening session features bestselling authors giving voice to teen problems
By Terra Dankowski | November 4, 2019
ALA Responds to Macmillan Letter
October 31, 2019

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Library Advocates Deliver Ebook Petition to Macmillan
By Stephanie Hlywak | October 30, 2019
Reaching the Uninsured

Libraries work to reduce disparities in coverage | Sponsored
By Leighann Wood | October 29, 2019
Bringing the Library to the People

Highlights from the 2019 ABOS conference
By Amber Hayes | October 28, 2019
Dewey Decibel Podcast: It’s a Mystery

Episode 43 looks at library-related whodunits
October 25, 2019
New ALA Report Cites Abusive Pricing, Denial and Delay of Sales to Libraries by Major Publishers

ALA denounces Amazon, Macmillan in response to congressional inquiry on competition in digital markets
October 24, 2019
Wading the Muddy Waters: Educating on Copyright and Digital Archives

Assisting students and faculty on copyright restrictions | Sponsored
By Laurie D. Borman | October 22, 2019
#eBooksForAll Update

Possible implications of the scheduled ebook embargo
By Alison Marcotte | October 22, 2019

Latest Library Links

21h

Jessie Kratz writes: “December 15 is Bill of Rights Day, which commemorates the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. For more information on events and resources at the National Archives, visit NARA’s Bill of Rights Day website. How much do you know about the Bill of Rights? We know a lot and have written quite a bit about it. Here are some facts about the Bill of Rights you might not know.”

Pieces of History, Dec. 13
22h

Christine Schmidt writes: “When the journalism organization Report for America announced that it was placing 250 journalists into 164 local newsrooms, the list of beats they’d be covering didn’t seem out of the ordinary. It served as a to-cover list for local news. Then there’s this one, from Charlotte, North Carolina, public radio station WFAE, the local Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, and the Digital Public Library of America: a ‘unique partnership using both radio and Wikipedia to fill news deserts.’ WFAE will house a journalist who will work with a Wikipedia researcher, with the assistance of DPLA, to find Charlotte-related news at the library.”

Nieman Lab, Dec. 12
22h

Jennifer Sturge writes: “If you have not heard about Wakelet, it’s time to learn. If you are like me, you are always finding amazing resources, articles, and ideas floating around cyberspace. Wakelet makes curation easy and allows you to organize what you want to save, share, and comment upon. You can bookmark anything—videos, articles, music, or podcasts—and create collections while adding images and notes to yourself or others. Not only can Wakelet be a powerful tool for your own professional learning network, but it can also be a great tool to use with students in the school library.”

Knowledge Quest blog, Dec. 13
22h

Tomas A. Lipinski writes: “Legal regulation of fake news in public spaces is difficult, if not impossible. As long as the speech is not defamatory, ‘the right to lie’ is constitutionally protected as free speech. Official filings are an exception: You cannot lie on your tax return, on a mortgage loan application, under oath, or otherwise on legal declarations subject to penalty of perjury. In theory, the proper response to false claims is more speech—that is, more open exchange in a free marketplace. Libraries can take a cue from this by offering programming and materials that help patrons discern truthful news from fake news.”

American Libraries column, Dec. 13
23h

Michael Lee writes: “Since opening in 2015, the Chinatown branch of the Chicago Public Library has become a hub for seniors in the community to socialize, play board games, and participate in other activities. Like other public libraries nationwide, it is adapting to the changing needs of their residents in addition to its traditional role as a resource for books, periodicals, and DVDs. Libraries nationwide are looking for ways to support seniors, but not because they are changing their roles, said Maria Bonn, director of the library and information science master’s program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.”

Medill Reports Chicago, Dec. 12
24h

Corin Balkovek writes: “Chances are, if you work in a library or have a bookish lifestyle and spend any time on social media, you’ve seen it: The Library Cake. With shelves packed to the brim, a table and chairs beset with reading materials and lamps, even miniature potted plants sitting outside the ‘front door,’ the intricate edible decorations take baked goods to the next level. But where did the Library Cake come from? Why was it created? ‘This cake was made for my daughter’s 21st birthday,’ wrote the Library Cake’s creator, Kathy Klaus, in our communications.”

Book Riot, Dec. 13
2d

James C. Zimring writes: “Science seems under assault. Attacks come from many directions, ranging from the political realm to groups and individuals masquerading as scientific entities. There is even a real risk that scientific fact will eventually be reduced to just another opinion, even when those facts describe natural phenomena—the very purpose for which science was developed. Hastening this erosion are hyperbolic claims of ‘truth’ that science is often perceived to make and that practicing researchers may themselves project, whether intentionally or not.”

The Scientist, Dec. 1