You might be thinking, “Our school library has a brand?” Most of us associate the word with a name, logo, tagline, and design elements that a corporation uses to distinguish itself from others. It also involves marketing and merchandising to promote the organization’s product or service. When all these components are combined, the result is … Continue reading Show Yourself
Sarah, what made you want to turn your academic research into a comic? Peitzmeier: I do a lot of different types of research on topics like cancer prevention and gender-based violence prevention. But this work on binding has received the most public interest. I’m often getting emails from trans teens who, for example, want to … Continue reading Newsmakers: Maia Kobabe and Sarah Peitzmeier
Drew Evans, a retired law librarian who has previously worked at Kansas State University in Manhattan and Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, took up the sport about seven years ago. “I was hooked from the first hit,” he says. “You’re about 14 feet from your opponent, and that allows for a lot of social interaction … Continue reading Bookend: Holding Court
In the small town of 9,000 people, it was a place to gather with other young actors—and the only place with internet access. “‘Okay, let me check my email,’” she recalls. “’Let me check my bank balance; yep, it’s still low.’” Sloan says library staff were “very confused” about what was happening: “Why are 10 … Continue reading Newsmaker: Dulcé Sloan
According to a May 2023 survey of academic librarians by Leo S. Lo, professor and dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, about 45% of respondents said they have a moderate understanding of AI concepts and principles. Seventy-four percent underscored the urgent need to address … Continue reading Reading Between the Bots
A hot topic in many industries, generative artificial intelligence (generative AI) has increasingly occupied our cultural consciousness since the large language model ChatGPT debuted for public use in November 2022. Some libraries are playing a unique role in charting a path through this new technological territory as the boundaries of AI’s uses and impacts continue … Continue reading The World of AI
As many types of AI become commonplace, library workers in particular will be at the forefront of evaluating their significance in the information realm. American Libraries touched base with professionals at five public, school, and academic libraries who are using, and innovating with, this emerging technology. Robots in Residence Santa Ana (Calif.) Public Library Some … Continue reading Realizing Potential
Text generators Tools that generate text based on user prompts. Examples: copy.ai, Anyword, Peppertype, Grammarly Uses: Automate drafting of routine documents like overdue notices or new cardholder welcome messages, draft marketing copy or web page text Controversies: » Sports Illustrated was recently criticized for publishing AI-generated product reviews on its website, which it blamed on … Continue reading Common Forms of AI
You explore basketball from many perspectives throughout your new book. Can you sum up the game’s meaning to you? Growing up, we had a basketball hoop on our garage, and people I loved, thought about, and cared for would gather around. As a kid, obviously, I was not thinking about basketball as a fully encapsulating … Continue reading Newsmaker: Hanif Abdurraqib
How do you archive a robot? This is the question that Kathleen Donahoe, robot archive processing archivist at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Libraries in Pittsburgh, and a team of archivists, roboticists, and preservation experts seek to answer through the Robotics Project, which launched in 2019. “There are just so many layers to how a robotics … Continue reading Bookend: Completing the Circuit
Together we will write the next chapter of ALA’s legacy. With tremendous passion for the work and impact of libraries, I stand for election as ALA president and seek to leverage this great opportunity to promote, uplift, encourage, and endorse you, your steady efforts, and the values we represent as a profession. As an ALA … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Sam Helmick
Today, libraries and library workers are enduring simultaneous challenges of book bans, artificial intelligence, climate crises, surveillance, digital content price gouging, job burnout, and workplace safety. ALA must realign itself and its core values to empower our work and better support our communities during these turbulent times. As a first-generation college graduate and an emergent … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Raymond Pun
