In Children and Libraries: Getting It Right (ALA Editions, 2001), I proposed three alternative visions for the children we would be serving as we moved into the 21st century: the original notion of the child reader, an idea that inspired and guided the founders of library service to children; the child of the information age; … Continue reading The Children We Serve
Recently I listened to a commencement speaker who said, "If faculty members can't offer students some hope and optimism for their future, some path of confident thinking in uncertain times, then we have no right or reason to be around them." I'd prefer offering students a sunnier picture from behind the reference desk, but the … Continue reading Killjoy Was Here
Librarians have been creating internet guides or pathfinders since before the birth of the graphical web. Look at most libraries' websites and you'll find lists of what their librarians consider the most useful and authoritative resources on a variety of academic, work-related, or general-interest topics. If someone wants to zero in on a specific piece … Continue reading Pathfinder in a Box
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On what was apparently a slow news day, the front page of the July 29, 2009, New York Times featured YAWA—yet another Wikipedia article—a variation on the enduring theme of “Wikipedia is changing the world; how shocking” (or how wonderful, depending on the mood of the reporter). This one highlighted an exploration of the ethics of … Continue reading What Do You See?
Library websites have been around for about 15 years. The list of what has changed in the past 15 years could fill a library. Programming languages have changed. Web browsers have changed. Internet connections have gotten faster, and websites have come to serve a wider variety of functions. Interaction has also changed. Many library websites, … Continue reading Building a Digital Branch
Chad, Rustle, and Mooch, the Crash Pad puppets, misinterpret the meaning of Banned Books Week, trying to throw some books with objectionable content–including Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, The Joy of Cooking, and the phone book–out of the library, until Herb points out the error of their ways. More ALA videos at … Continue reading Banned Books Week: Puppet Book Banners
As of November 2008, there were 62 ALA-accredited MLS graduate programs offered by 57 U.S. and Canadian institutions of higher education; 50 of these programs either teach their curricula entirely online (see box) or offer a blend of face-to-face and online courses. A study released this spring by the U.S. Department of Education jibes well … Continue reading From a Distance
With less than a day to spare before layoff notices were to be sent to library staff, the Pennsylvania Senate approved a law September 17 that gives Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter the revenue to fund the Free Library of Philadelphia. “This is indeed the legislation that was needed for the City of Philadelphia to avoid … Continue reading Philly Dodges “Doomsday”; Other Pennsylvania Libraries in Limbo
Scenes from the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Milan, Italy, including music from the Concert for IFLA, held August 25 in the Duomo, and interviews with: Jesus Lau, delegate from MexicoOutgoing IFLA President Claudia Lux Paula Restrepo Duque of EPM Foundation, which won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Access to Learning AwardDeborah … Continue reading IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2009
Every librarian knows that today’s libraries—although venerable places of learning, innovation, and opportunity—face contradictions in many areas of public perception: While libraries are popular, they are often taken for granted. While libraries are ubiquitous, they are not often visible. While libraries are unique, they face competition. Out of these challenges was born @ your library: … Continue reading A New Pipeline, Direct to the Public
Every librarian knows that today’s libraries—although venerable places of learning, innovation, and opportunity—face contradictions in many areas of public perception: While libraries are popular, they are often taken for granted. While libraries are ubiquitous, they are not often visible. While libraries are unique, they face competition. Out of these challenges was born @ your library: … Continue reading A New Pipeline, Direct to the Public
One in a series of introductory screencasts created by the ALA Emerging Leaders Group I FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://connect.ala.org While ALA Connect is a superb professional networking resource for members of the American Library Association, it can be equally valuable for professionals who are not yet members of one of the largest and most active … Continue reading ALA Connect for Non ALA Members
