Columns Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Leaders in the Library

In addition to the many remarkable speakers and presentations that made the conference a rich educational experience, the work of the Association is also noteworthy: The Conference Accessibility Task Force issued recommendations for accessibility improvements at upcoming conferences. The Chapter Relations Communications Task Force issued a report to help improve chapter engagement with ALA. A … Continue reading Leaders in the Library →

Save Staff Time

Columns
Solutions and Services
By Carrie Smith | July 19, 2017

ValueIT Selling donated and weeded materials can be an important revenue stream for libraries, but it is often limited by the staff or volunteer time required to properly sort, price, and sell items. Tech Logic’s new ValueIT software automates the process of sorting and pricing donated and discarded books, turning a new or existing automated … Continue reading Save Staff Time →

My ALA Journey

Columns
Executive Director's Message
By Keith Michael Fiels | June 1, 2017

Here’s an organization with: 57,000 members, representing an incredibly wide range of backgrounds, communities served, types of libraries, and interests a new president every year an Executive Board a 185-member Council 11 divisions (each with its own board) 20 round tables 56 state and regional chapters membership in 96 countries 1,266 online communities 1,272 discussion … Continue reading My ALA Journey →

At the Heart of Our Work

Columns
President's Message
By Julie B. Todaro | June 1, 2017

I continue to be honored to represent our profession in our ongoing and successful challenge to federal funding issues. And we continue to communicate and educate stakeholders about our work, its value, and the very need for our existence. Many libraries face similar challenges more regularly, and I have a newfound appreciation and respect for … Continue reading At the Heart of Our Work →

Audiobooks and Engagement

Columns
On My Mind
By Francisca Goldsmith | June 1, 2017

The traditional dilemma about whether listening equals reading becomes increasingly relegated to the same bin of disproved anxieties as our ancestors’ certainty that radio would kill thoughtful reading. As technology advances our access points to—and interest in—information and literature, the world of social and political possibilities blossoms. Where audiobooks were once limited to oral reading … Continue reading Audiobooks and Engagement →

Know Thyself

Columns
Librarian's Library
By Karen Muller | June 1, 2017

This first book grew out of a 2014 ALA Annual Conference presentation. Taking Your MLIS Abroad: Getting and Succeeding in an International Library Job, by Lara Seven Phillips and Katherine G. Holvoet, both of whom have worked overseas, explains the process of landing and taking on an appointment in an international library. The result is … Continue reading Know Thyself →

Spacesaver cantilever shelving units on casters at the Glendale branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library

Extend Your Space

Columns
Solutions and Services
By Carrie Smith | June 1, 2017

Spacesaver Cantilever Shelving Spacesaver’s cantilever library shelving has the ability to evolve with changing needs. It has a range of interchangeable accessories—pull-out shelves, media hangers, and slat-wall add-ons—and can also accommodate larger changes. You can mount its shelving onto casters to make it easily movable to create open spaces for events or other library services. The new A-frame cantilever display … Continue reading Extend Your Space →

Facts through Fresh Eyes

Another Story
Columns
By Joseph Janes | June 1, 2017

The course also covers things you’re less likely to find in Libraryland on a regular basis: design thinking, user experience, interface design, accessibility, data science, visualization techniques, information assurance, and cybersecurity. As an exercise, I gave students several excerpts from the World Almanac, ranging from birthstones to home-run leaders to statistics on homeschooled students and … Continue reading Facts through Fresh Eyes →

From Theory to Practice

Columns
Dispatches from the Field
By Melissa Goertzen | June 1, 2017

The term “quantitative analysis” can seem daunting. But like many other professionals, I developed research skills on the job and jumped at any opportunity to learn about quantitative methods. One of the challenges I faced was how to make sense of data sources and use them in ways that support effective decision making. Over a … Continue reading From Theory to Practice →

Inclusive Storytimes

Columns
Youth Matters
By Megan Roberts | June 1, 2017

The month of June, which is both Pride Month and the American Library Association’s (ALA) GLBT Book Month, is a perfect time to celebrate the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ community. I founded Family Storytime at the LGBT Center of Raleigh (N.C.) Library with Director Erin Iannacchione in 2012, after noticing there were few … Continue reading Inclusive Storytimes →

Beautiful Music Together

Columns
In Practice
By Meredith Farkas | June 1, 2017

I live in Portland, Oregon, which has a thriving music scene with many artists achieving national recognition. Local music has great value to the cultural fabric of a city or town, and libraries can play an important role in collecting, supporting, and promoting it. The D.C. Public Library’s D.C. Punk Archive not only preserves artifacts and … Continue reading Beautiful Music Together →

The Day USA, a daily news resource for students, used in the classroom

Sources and Searches

Columns
Solutions and Services
By Carrie Smith | May 1, 2017

The Day USA In 2011, British journalist Richard Addis founded a daily online newspaper called The Day to provide news to classrooms across the UK. The objective was to focus on unbiased reporting and curriculum integration. A parallel North American service, called The Day USA, was launched this past February. It is available to US, US … Continue reading Sources and Searches →

Latest Library Links

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Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani writes: “Computing skills are the most sought-after in the US job market, but girls across the US are being left behind. What started as an experiment with 20 girls in a New York City classroom has grown to a movement of 40,000 middle and high school girls across the states. In 2017, we’re expanding our movement with the launch of a 13-book series as an invitation for girls everywhere to learn to code and change the world.” To request a free Girls Who Code Starter Kit for your library, including tips for leaders, giveaways, and more, email: schoolandlibrary@us.penguingroup.com

District Dispatch, Aug. 16
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April Dawkins writes: “When my niece was in 6th grade, she was informed by her teacher that she had to choose a book on her Lexile level for her next checkout from the library. When she told her librarian her Lexile level (1350), they checked the catalog. What were her choices? Anything from the Leatherstocking Tales by James Fenimore Cooper. That was it. Do you want to turn off a student from reading? Tell them they have to read 19th century American fiction for fun.”

Intellectual Freedom Blog, Aug. 15
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Leah Shaffer writes: “In recent years, libraries have broadened their scope of offerings to the local community to involve more making activities like 3D printing and sewing. Some libraries even have a facilitator for maker projects. At Millvale Community Library in Pennsylvania, maker program coordinator Nora Peters saw an opportunity to better connect the activities of the maker space with the library’s mission to promote literacy. So, she set out to build a bridge between making and reading by creating maker activities for children’s books.”

KQED Mind/Shift, Aug. 15
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A registered sex offender allegedly caught August 11 filming a 13-year-old girl at the Poulsbo (Wash.) Library was charged with first-degree voyeurism in Kitsap County Superior Court. Travis Wade Moore, 44, was confronted in the children’s section of the library by a Poulsbo Police sergeant and admitted he had struggled with urges and that he was excited by filming the girl. Poulsbo Police were called to the library Friday at about 3:40 p.m. after receiving reports of suspicious behavior.

Kitsap (Wash.) Sun, Aug. 15
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Teens all around the world can start casting their votes for their favorite titles for the 2017 YALSA Teens’ Top Ten now through October 14. The voting page, hosted by DOGObooks, showcases all 26 nominees with their respective book covers and summaries, as well as the opportunity for teens to leave comments about their favorite titles. The top ten titles will be announced the week following Teen Read Week, October 8–14. All teens aged 12–18 are eligible to vote and can vote for up to three of their favorite titles.

YALSA, Aug. 15
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The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has announced its list of 2017 Top Ten Summer Learning Programs from its Teen Programming HQ contest. Each winner will receive a gift pack of YALSA books and swag. The recipient of the $50 Amazon gift card, who was chosen randomly from all entrants of the contest, is Donna Bishop.

YALSA, Aug. 15
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Hanako Maki writes: “When animals fall silent, the temperature drops, and a 70-mile-wide strip of land spanning 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina goes dark in the daytime, it can mean only one thing: a total solar eclipse. August 21 marks the first time since 1918 that a total solar eclipse will pass over the US from coast to coast, and many libraries are gearing up for the cosmic event.”

AL: The Scoop, Aug. 15

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