The Scoop

Collaborating for Civic Engagement
By Sanhita SinhaRoy | October 26, 2018
Brian Bannon, commissioner and CEO of Chicago Public Library (CPL), and Louise Bernard, museum director of the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center (OPC), spoke on October 26 of their partnership to create deeper engagement between the two institutions and with the city and its people. In May, the Chicago Tribune reported that CPL would embed a … Continue reading Collaborating for Civic Engagement →
Setting 21st-Century Standards
By Steve Zalusky | October 26, 2018
Garcia-Febo used the opportunity to recognize the work of school libraries, especially highlighting the library at Cranston High School East for adopting the American Association of School Librarians’ National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Librarian and Media Specialist Heidi Blais, who was named Cranston’s Teacher of the Year in 2014, … Continue reading Setting 21st-Century Standards →
Game Changers for Libraries
By Sanhita SinhaRoy | October 26, 2018
When Skip Prichard opened the 2018 OCLC Americas Regional Council Conference on October 25 in Chicago, the president and CEO of OCLC ran through a list of changes that have occurred in recent years to the ways in which we live and work. “What influences change is control,” he told the more than 200 people … Continue reading Game Changers for Libraries →
The Haunting of Peoria Public Library
October 26, 2018
What’s going on at Peoria (Ill.) Public Library? Is the building possessed by spirits hovering above cursed ground? Or are these apparitions just a sign that librarians have been spending too much time in the stacks? Do not attempt to adjust your audio. In Episode 31, “The Haunting of Peoria Public Library”—our special Halloween episode … Continue reading The Haunting of Peoria Public Library →
Company to Supply Free Narcan to Libraries
By Timothy Inklebarger | October 24, 2018
The drug maker announced the offer—which also includes distributing Narcan to 2,700 local YMCAs—at the White House, where President Trump signed legislation that aims to curb the opioid crisis. Emergent BioSolutions spokesman Thom Duddy says the company’s announcement is not directly related to the legislation, but the administration requested the company to participate in the … Continue reading Company to Supply Free Narcan to Libraries →

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ALA Unveils 2019 Carnegie Medals Shortlist
October 24, 2018
2019 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction shortlist titles include: Nonfiction Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America, by Beth Macy (Little, Brown and Company). Macy’s years of reporting on the still-unfolding US opioid crisis earned her remarkable access to people whose lives have been upended. Dopesick is a timely … Continue reading ALA Unveils 2019 Carnegie Medals Shortlist →
A Call to Access
By Steve Zalusky | October 23, 2018
Garcia-Febo said one reason Cambridge was featured on her tour is the city’s commitment to providing everyone with equal access to information. She said Cambridge Public Library (CPL) has been especially vocal about providing assistance and resources to people who are under sanctuary city protection. She highlighted the importance of academic libraries by surveying the … Continue reading A Call to Access →
Longtime Editor Goldberg Remembered
October 11, 2018
“Bev’s laugh was infectious and full of life,” said American Libraries Editor and Publisher Sanhita SinhaRoy. “It could fill a room and make everyone smile. She will be missed.” Goldberg began as editor of the classified advertising section in American Libraries, then expanded her duties to include news and features as an associate editor in … Continue reading Longtime Editor Goldberg Remembered →
Libraries = Strong Communities Tour Launches in Colorado Springs
October 9, 2018
Libraries = Strong Communities is a national advocacy effort aimed at highlighting the value of academic, public, and school libraries. The goal is to ignite public awareness of the value of libraries and library workers and create a groundswell of support at the local, state, national, and even global level. Garcia-Febo says she chose PPLD … Continue reading Libraries = Strong Communities Tour Launches in Colorado Springs →
14 Tiles to the Right
By Marijke Visser and Cynthia Aguilar | October 4, 2018
SDPL turned those missed opportunities into a vision for the pueblo. The library worked with the Tribal Council to unite Santo Domingo with the Cochiti, San Felipe, and Santa Ana Pueblos and establish the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) Pueblo Tribal Consortium, a unique, 100% tribally-owned fiber optic network. MRG secured a 90% discount on the … Continue reading 14 Tiles to the Right →
11 Questions with Stephanie Hlywak
October 2, 2018
Hlywak previously served as national director of content marketing at the Muscular Dystrophy Association in Chicago. While there, she helped build the organization’s content marketing program, including developing strategies and evaluating metrics, workflows, and goals for social media, email marketing, and blog content. Prior to that, Hlywak was account supervisor at Kathy Schaeffer Consulting, an … Continue reading 11 Questions with Stephanie Hlywak →
Museum and Library Services Act Introduced
By Kathi Kromer | October 1, 2018
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) led the Senate version of the bill (S. 3530) with 11 cosponsors: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.). Rep. Raúl Grijalva … Continue reading Museum and Library Services Act Introduced →

Latest Library Links

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A couple of years before a fire devastated the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in September, Google’s Arts and Culture team started working with the museum to digitize the collection. Just a few months after the inferno, Google reopened the museum doors in virtual form using Street View imagery and digital exhibits. No virtual tour can replace a physical museum or the estimated 20 million artifacts that the blaze destroyed. But tools such as 3D scanning, hi-res photography, and virtual and augmented reality can offer some form of preservation.

Engadget, Dec. 13
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By one count, there are more than 7,200 escape room environments in 1,445 cities in 105 countries. So why not in libraries? ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions will host a new 90-minute workshop, “Creating Escape Room Programs and Other Immersive Experiences in Libraries” with Ellyssa Kroski, on February 7. Kroski will show you how you can create an escape room experience from scratch, regardless of your level of personal experience. Registration is through the ALA Store.

eLearning Solutions, Dec. 14
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After weeks of negotiations in Congress and with key library advocates across the country, the Museum and Library Services Act has stalled in the offices of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The Senate passed the bill on December 4 by unanimous consent. Now, in the final hours of the 115th Congress, Ryan and McCarthy are denying their commitment to bring the bill to the House floor. ALA advocates have generated more than 1,200 tweets and 2,100 emails to their representatives, alerting them to this delay and urging Ryan and McCarthy to keep their promise.

AL: The Scoop, Dec. 14
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Alan S. Inouye writes: “The library e-content outlook for 2019 is mixed with significant challenges and opportunities, according to ALA leaders and key publishing industry stakeholders, who held a series of meetings in New York City December 3–5 on e-content and ebooks policy. ALA President Loida Garcia-Febo and Sari Feldman, past president of ALA, met with Hachette Book Group, Penguin Random House, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, the Book Industry Study Group, and the Authors Guild.”

AL: The Scoop, Dec. 14
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Police are on the hunt for a gunman who fatally shot a library worker who had stopped at an ATM in Miami Gardens, Florida, on December 11 and county officials are now offering a $13,000 reward for information. Officers discovered 47-year-old Jaime Humet behind the wheel of his car suffering from a gunshot wound after an apparent robbery attempt. Humet had worked for the Miami-Dade Public Library System for 20 years, most recently with the Miami Lakes branch. Humet is described as a loving, law-abiding family man who lived with his mother and dogs.

WSVN-TV, Miami, Dec. 11
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Dana Staves writes: “Food science is fun to witness. It’s exciting to master. And when you begin to understand the mechanics—the chemistry—of what’s happening in your kitchen, it changes your relationship to the food you’re making. Whether you are an avid cook, a science enthusiast, or just someone who likes to eat, reading about food science can be fascinating and illuminating. Here’s a list of 10 food science books that will enhance your relationship with your food.”

Book Riot, Dec. 14
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Seventy libraries have been selected to participate in ALA’s Great Stories Club series on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation, a thematic reading and discussion program series that will engage underserved teens through literature-based library outreach programs. The club will feature books that can help readers look beneath the surface of racism and explore the power of young people taking a stand against injustice. The grantees represent 46 public libraries, 13 school libraries, four academic libraries, five community college libraries, one prison library, and one cultural center library.

Public Programs Office, Dec. 13

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