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January 15, 2015 300 × 318 cartoonjanfeb14_4web.jpg

Latest Library Links

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Tyler Kingkade writes: “Amanda Jones, a librarian at a middle school in Denham Springs, Louisiana, and president of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians, has filed a defamation lawsuit against two men who accused her of advocating to keep “pornographic” materials in the parish library’s kids’ section. The accusations came on Facebook pages run by Michael Lunsford and Ryan Thames after she spoke against censorship at a Livingston Parish Library Board of Control meeting. She said she’s suing the two men because she’s exhausted with the insults hurled at educators and librarians over LGBTQ materials.”

NBC News, Aug. 13
8h

Liza Purdy writes: “I just finished reading the Urban Library Trauma Study and wanted to offer a little reflection. The Trauma Study made it clear that, in no uncertain terms, public libraries are places where trauma happens. Patrons’ behavior is often informed by trauma brought on by societal and familial issues like homelessness, racism, violence, and homophobia. Moreover, our society is suffering from “endemic incivility.” Library workers regularly experience primary and secondary trauma at work, and we don’t really have a method of dealing with it systematically. Eventually, we burn out. It’s a bad cycle.”

ALSC Blog, Aug. 18
10h

ALA Past Presidents Julius C. Jefferson, Jr., and James G. Neal, were among 11 new appointees to the National Museum and Library Services Board. The five-year appointments were announced this week by President Biden. The board advises the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on policy as well as the annual selection of National Medals honorees. ALA President Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada congratulated the two Past Presidents on their appointments, saying, “Their commitment to ALA’s core values has been demonstrated time and again over the years.”

ALA, Aug. 19
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With over $1 million in contributions from AT&T, the Public Library Association (PLA) has selected 160 public libraries to host digital literacy workshops across the country. The PLA Digital Literacy Workshop Incentive, supported by AT&T, is designed to support public libraries in their efforts to boost digital skills for all members of their communities. The workshops leverage online digital literacy courses, created by PLA in collaboration with AT&T, that are available to anyone through DigitalLearn.org and AT&T ScreenReady. The site’s digital literacy offerings cover everything from technology basics to how to avoid online scams.

ALA, Aug. 16
13h

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dominated headlines this year. The ongoing war has affected people globally, including American librarians and their work. In Episode 74, the Call Number podcast team interviews Kristin Parker, lead curator and manager of the arts at Boston Public Library and part of a network of first responders working to preserve Ukraine’s cultural history; Michael Dowling, director of ALA’s International and Chapter Relations Office, about the Ukraine Library Relief Fund; and Millicent Mabi, director of community engagement and programming at Regina Public Library in Saskatchewan, about helping Ukrainian refugees.

AL: The Scoop, Aug. 12
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Aman Kumar writes: “With tons of options present in the market, it’s tough to choose a perfect web browser for streaming Twitch. Some offer full HD support but consume a lot of system resources, whereas others are battery-efficient but don’t allow streaming in the highest quality possible. To help you make an ideal decision, here are the five best browsers that check all the essential boxes for streaming Twitch.”

MakeUseOf, Aug. 9
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Molly Enking writes: “The catastrophic floods in eastern Kentucky that left dozens of people dead or missing have also devastated a regional cultural center that holds over 50 years of Appalachian art and historical records. On Thursday, the Kentucky River in Whitesburg, Kentucky, swelled to over 20 feet, overwhelming the downtown area with floodwaters. Among the drowned buildings is Appalshop, a renowned local nonprofit that teaches courses and manages an evolving archive of Appalachian oral histories, film, music, art and cultural items.”

Smithsonian Magazine, Aug. 3

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