I had the opportunity to indulge a while ago. My former doctoral student Elisabeth Jones invited me to come and be part of a session she was doing with her first-quarter graduate students on the future of libraries. They had done some initial readings, and naturally had their own ideas, many of which brought them … Continue reading Safe and Sound
Examples of these changes include new provisions in the ESSA regarding local education agencies assisting schools in developing effective school library programs to provide students the opportunity to develop digital literacy skills and other ways to improve academic achievement. The bill also authorizes states and local educational agencies to use these federal funds to support … Continue reading Every Student Succeeds
When a patron enters your office and begins a sentence like that, you know it’s going to be awkward. The heart jumps, the mind flips through possibilities. Did I inadvertently offend somebody? Have I been doing something wrong for years? Do I smell? The patron whipped out a book. It was Climate Change: The Facts, … Continue reading The Fact Police
This scene was one that would make any librarian feel warm and fuzzy. However, with a few swipes and punches of a smartphone, the verdict was in: “not for your grade level.” Mom was doing what schools, and often what libraries as proxies, have trained her to do—think about books in terms of levels. Reading … Continue reading Tween Read-Alouds
Although each priority has an individual implementation plan, it is at the intersection of our three strategic directions where we achieve the greatest impact. The National Library Card Sign-Up Month is one example of how the three priorities of the ALA strategic plan come together. Library Card Sign-Up Month events and campaigns add value to … Continue reading How to Create Impact
MusicFirst Student App Digital music education company MusicFirst has created an app that streamlines music education for students and teachers, using cloud-based solutions. The MusicFirst Student App allows students to continue their in-school music learning outside of the classroom. When connected to a school or library’s MusicFirst Online Classroom subscription, the app lets students view … Continue reading Making Music in Your Library
One of my children received this as a holiday gift: The Student’s Survival Guide to Research, by Monty L. McAdoo. This very readable guide instructs on the methodology of research, from choosing a topic to planning and doing research to producing the final product. McAdoo stresses the iterative nature of the process and introduces related … Continue reading Aiding Student Research
Ah, the memories that flooded back when we all heard the recent news that OCLC had printed the last run of catalog cards. If asked, I would’ve confidently assumed that had finished up long ago. An OCLC press release told us that since 1971, the company had produced 1.9 billion cards. My rough calculations give … Continue reading The Last Card
Technology staffers at public libraries should be asking themselves continually: How do we make this technology fit the library? How do we make and keep technology nimble and adaptable? Can we ever make technology dynamic enough to ensure we can keep up with unforeseen problems? How do we do this so we can help patrons … Continue reading The Right Technology
The good news is that the Center for the Future of Libraries is providing guidance around the most challenging changes for library professionals. Trends such as the sharing economy and Big Data are worthy of discussion for libraries of all kinds. The sharing economy has given rise to unexpected collections: People are turning to their … Continue reading Libraries Transform
This was the prompt conclusion of organizer Hank Green as he spoke before an enthusiastic crowd of teens and tweens at NerdCon: Stories—a conference embracing “the power and magic of storytelling,” featuring podcasters, novelists, cartoonists, musicians, and poets—on October 9, the morning it opened. At 9:01, someone sitting near me in the auditorium of the … Continue reading Your Story Matters
But ask someone to fill out a form, search a library database, or edit a term paper, and it quickly becomes clear that a phone is not a perfect replacement for all of a computer’s functions. According to a recent Pew Research Center study of smartphone use, for approximately one in five Americans, their mobile … Continue reading The New Digital Divide
