There are plenty of books on readers’ advisory service for adults, and in 2007 Heather Booth gave us Serving Teens through Readers’ Advisory (ALA Editions). Now comes Readers’ Advisory for Children and ‘Tweens. Service to this group requires special skills, author Penny Peck asserts. She describes some of the issues, including censorship challenges, before exploring … Continue reading Advising Tweens
The last thing I did before checking my suitcase at Washington National Airport was to tuck the pink steno pad in which I’d been scribbling all conference long into the front pocket of my suitcase. Well before the end of my trip, I had tired of lugging and protecting the accoutrements of conference life, so … Continue reading What Came Home from D.C.
Let’s see, which of my various forms of geekdom have I copped to in this column? Game shows? Check. Olympics? Check. On to reality TV, I guess. Not the Bachelorette / Real Housewives / Jersey Shore type of show (ick); think more Amazing Race, Dancing with the Stars, and of course Project Runway. I love Runway because … Continue reading I’m Sorry, You’re Out
Laura Bush became a librarian for the same reason many of us did—she loved books. In case you were wondering, and in case you haven’t read her autobiography, Spoken from the Heart, she does have a library science degree (from the University of Texas) and she did work as a librarian, first at a branch … Continue reading A Friend in the White House
During my travels as president-elect, I often spoke about the challenges and opportunities of becoming 21st-century libraries that incorporate new formats, technologies, and ways of learning. By transforming libraries for this new era, we are leaders in a rapidly changing and increasingly global economy that depends on people getting the right information, at the right … Continue reading Advancing Advocacy
The students are skeptical when the librarian says, “I want everyone to take out their cell phones and check to see if you can get reception in the library.” The young scholars hesitantly pull out their mobile devices unsure of what to make of this request. “Your assignment is to charge up your phones for … Continue reading Unquiet Library Has High-Schoolers Geeked
Readers’ Advisory mavens Jessica E. Moyer and Kaite Mediatore Stover tapped the expertise of some fellow enthusiasts, and The Reader’s Advisory Handbook is the result. Sarah Statz Cords offers advice on adding nonfiction to the readers’ advisory equation, David Wright covers adult storytime, and Heather Booth discusses expanding readers’ advisory service to young adults. These … Continue reading New from ALA
“Library fines got you down? Help build our Facebook page to 500 people & I'll waive fines of two students.” This message streamed across the Luria Library’s Twitter feed. In less than 140 characters, it perfectly portrays the playful and forgiving nature of its library director, and demonstrates the rising value of social capital, which … Continue reading Social Eyes
Espionage and library science seem an odd mix, but it’s certain, according to Rosalee McReynolds and Louise S. Robbins, that Philip and Mary Jane Keeney, who were called to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1950, were spies. As related in The Librarian Spies: Philip and Mary Jane Keeney and Cold War … Continue reading Librarian Spies
There are two things that Congress and Libraryland need to eliminate from their thinking before government information can truly move into the digital age. The first is the word “printing,” as in Government Printing Office (GPO). The second is the word “documents,” as in Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc), the branch of GPO that actually runs … Continue reading GPO Must Go
The Oxford English Dictionary has been called the world’s greatest dictionary, and it has been joined by what might be called the world’s greatest thesaurus, Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary. This is no ordinary synonym-finder. More than 40 years in the making, it covers nearly a million words and expressions from Old English … Continue reading Historical Thesaurus
One rainy day in May, I gathered my umbrella and ventured into the Massachusetts countryside. My destination was not the charming farms nor the region’s myriad historic towns; instead, I went to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, which resides on quiet West Bay Road in Amherst. The museum itself was quiet, too, … Continue reading My Artful Diversion
