Columns Archives | Page 52 of 53 | American Libraries Magazine

The Librarian Is In

Will's World
By Will Manley | October 23, 2009

I'm no prophet, but my guess is that 2009 will be known as the year of the great health care debate. While I haven't studied all the details of the various plans, I do support the concept of universal health care for all. I have felt strongly about this issue since 1972 when I broke … Continue reading The Librarian Is In →

Sugar Ray

Rousing Reads
By Bill Ott | October 23, 2009

The first program I ever saw on television was a boxing match: Rocky Marciano versus Jersey Joe Walcott, September 23, 1952. My family didn't have a television at the time, but our neighbors across the street did, and my father, mother, and I were all invited over for the fight. Marciano won handily, but what … Continue reading Sugar Ray →

We Are All Millennials

Librarian's Library
By Mary Ellen Quinn | October 23, 2009

Net Gen? Gen Y? Gen M? All are labels we've heard applied to the generation ranging in age from adolescents just entering or about to enter high school, to those just joining the work force. Whatever they're called, they have particular, technology driven learning styles, which are examined in Teaching Generation M: A Handbook for … Continue reading We Are All Millennials →

Killjoy Was Here

On My Mind
By Thomas Washington | September 23, 2009

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 →

What Do You See?

Another Story
Joseph Janes | September 23, 2009

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? →

Building a Digital Branch

Dispatches from the Field
By David Lee King | September 23, 2009

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 →

Letters

Letters & Comments
September 23, 2009

Thanks to Libraries, Librarians You sit down to write a novel and soon the characters are crowding around demanding attention with the urgency and self obsession of a 3-year old. Nothing shuts them up until the manuscript is ripped from your hands at deadline, and even then, they squawk until they've gone to print. Over … Continue reading Letters →

Spectrum’s $1-Million Challenge

President's Message
By Camila Alire | September 23, 2009

The Spectrum Scholarship Program is one of the more successful programs initiated by ALA. It began as part of then- ALA Executive Director Elizabeth Martinez's vision to recruit more minorities into the library and information management profession. Betty Turock turned that vision into a reality in the late 1990s during her ALA presidency. Spectrum's mission … Continue reading Spectrum’s $1-Million Challenge →

Going the Distance

Editor's Letter
By Leonard Kniffel | September 23, 2009

The future of online learning is now, says Kenneth E. Hartman, academic director for Drexel University Online and chairman of National Distance Learning Week (November 9-13). His article in this issue makes a compelling case for online education in general and distance learning in particular. Earlier this year, I taught a one-week summer course in … Continue reading Going the Distance →

Once in a Lifetime

President's Message
By Jim Rettig | July 23, 2009

If you find the no-frills Billy Goat Tavern on a list of restaurants for the America Library Association’s Annual Conference in Chicago, the likely reason is that it inspired and remains true to the 1970s Saturday Night Live “Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No Coke,pepsi!” skit. Walls decorated with blowups of columns by Mike Royko and others celebrate … Continue reading Once in a Lifetime →

Sweet Home Chicago

Editor's Letter
By Leonard Kniffel | July 23, 2009

Hardly anyone I know in Chicago is actually from Chicago, born and raised here that is. Most of my friends and colleagues are from someplace else, a lot of us from Michigan. I always tell people back home in Detroit that if the Midwest were a country, Chicago would be the capital, so I feel … Continue reading Sweet Home Chicago →

Open Discovery Interfaces

Dispatches from the Field
By Marshall Breeding | June 1, 2009

Discovery interfaces allow libraries to offer more modern tools to their users for searching library collections. While the ILS serves as the automation environment for library staff, the discovery interface extracts data from the ILS and other repositories and gives end users a centralized index with new search capabilities. Almost all commercial library automation vendors … Continue reading Open Discovery Interfaces →

Latest Library Links

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Justin Krajeski writes: “After putting in more than 100 hours of research and testing 21 laptops over the past two years, we found that the Dell XPS 13 (9360) is still the best Windows ultrabook for most people because of its small size, eight hours of battery life, and powerful performance. Plus, it has a great keyboard and trackpad, a vibrant display, and a variety of new and legacy ports.”

Wirecutter, Feb. 21
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Feliza Casano writes: “Young adult fantasy titles hit the right balance between adventurous escapism and handling difficult topics in a way younger readers can relate to, and each year brings exciting new titles to the genre. With a mix of sequels, standalones, and series conclusions on schedule, 2019 is shaping up to be a pretty fantastic year. Here are some of the most anticipated YA fantasy titles coming out this year.”

Brightly, Feb. 5
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Sasha Moss writes: “The US Office of Technology Assessment, which wrote objective analysis on complex technology issues, was disbanded in 1995. Unlike the Congressional Research Service, which provides objective policy and legal analysis on a wide range of topics, the OTA was tasked with authoring long-form academic reports on technology issues, which could take years to complete. And because the committee hearing schedule is often influenced by popular topics of the day, the OTA simply could not keep up. But what made the OTA unique was that it focused solely on technology policy.”

Roll Call, Feb. 22
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Meredith Steiner writes: “Inspired by Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library’s innovative idea, libraries all over the country are hosting Big Play Dates and growing community, providing big fun, supporting parental learning, and strengthening the brains of our youngest patrons in the process. Here at San Francisco Public Library, we host what we call ‘The Big San Francisco Play Date’ at each of our 28 locations plus the bookmobile at least once per year. We will be hosting our 6th year of Big Plays Dates in 2019. Many of our libraries host them in April, the month of the young child, but each branch chooses what works best for them.”

ALSC Blog, Feb. 22
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Adam Clark Estes writes: “Smartphones have been boring for years. They’re just glass rectangles that connect to the internet and take photos. When you rub on the screen, you can do other stuff like text your friends or play music. New smartphones are increasingly bigger and slicker than their predecessors, but really, they all do the same stuff. This year is supposed to bring us something different. This year, phones are getting weird again. Samsung kicked it off on February 20 with the launch of the Galaxy Fold, a Frankenstein’s monster sort of device that resembles a chunky smartphone at first but then opens up to become a small tablet.”

Gizmodo, Feb. 21
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ALCTS has named Stephen Bosch, materials, budget, procurement, and licensing librarian at the University of Arizona, as the 2019 recipient of its Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award. Bosch was cited for his pioneering work on evidence-based collection decisions, particularly for demand-driven monographs. The citation and monetary award, sponsored by EBSCO Information Services, will be presented at the ALCTS Awards Ceremony on June 22 at ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

ALCTS, Feb. 21
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The ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section has selected Paula De Stefano, head of preservation at New York University, for its 2019 Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award. Sponsored by Preservation Technologies, the award consists of $1,500 and a citation. De Stefano was cited for her early implementation of digital preservation for audiovisual collection materials and her advocacy for the preservation of time-based media.

ALCTS, Feb. 21

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