This year we took a closer look at the population density of the communities that placed library referenda before the voters. The Institute of Museum and Library Services groups the nation’s 17,566 library outlets into four geographic locales: cities, suburbs, towns, and rural areas. While all public libraries strive to transform communities through innovative programs … Continue reading Referenda Roundup 2016
The ultimate goal of the embedded business librarian is to become integrated in the business community as much as possible, and not be viewed strictly as “the library” or “the librarian.” This attitude and relationship will guide how librarians function in this position and will affect the activities they participate in, the committees that they … Continue reading Embedded Business Librarianship
Marcou is a corrections librarian with Hennepin County (Minn.) Library, and his patrons are the residents of Hennepin County Jail. He remembers the first time he saw one of his favorite patrons back in jail after being released just a few weeks earlier. “It was this very eyeopening moment,” says Marcou. “I thought, ‘I enjoy … Continue reading Keeping Inmates on the Outside
We’ve heard that Bridge to Terabithia is one of your favorite books. That can be an emotionally difficult read, given its tragic ending. Has becoming a father changed the way you approach children’s literature? Oh, absolutely. It’s important to us that our children not only read but understand the morals and messages behind the words. … Continue reading Newsmaker: Neil Patrick Harris
Gifts Under $20 Banned Books Matchbox Set ($8) For the librarian who appreciates banned books—and has a dark sense of humor—Out of Print’s Banned Books Matchbox Set includes the regularly challenged classics Slaughterhouse-Five, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Black Beauty, Song of Solomon, and, of course, Fahrenheit 451. Each tiny matchbox has a message on the back about … Continue reading 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Librarians and Book Lovers
Haines is a youth services librarian and media mentor at Homer (Alaska) Public Library, and Campbell is a children’s librarian, author, and founder of LittleeLit.com. An excerpt from their book was published in the November/December issue of American Libraries. What made you want to write this book? Haines and Campbell: Over the past few years there has been a … Continue reading Discussing Media Mentorship
Hayden didn’t use any privileges of her new position to access Parks’s notes, however, because LC has digitized the collection and posted it online. “I pulled it up on my iPad,” she says. “To think that a kid in Baltimore who just experienced the unrest there could look at Parks’s handwritten thoughts about unrest, that … Continue reading America’s Librarian
This year, in addition to the events and sessions you’ve come to expect from Midwinter, you’ll have a chance to be part of the new Symposium on the Future of Libraries. Staying ahead of the curve Sponsored by the American Library Association’s (ALA) Center for the Future of Libraries, the new Symposium on the Future … Continue reading Making the Most of Midwinter
In 2002, when President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act, the previous ESEA reauthorization, the educational decision making and resource allocations were shifted away from the states. Testing requirements were significantly increased within legislation that also lacked language to include school librarians and libraries. Since then several iterations of … Continue reading ESSA and School Libraries
That was the beginning of a big confidence boost on Shelby’s part, says Frisbie, who is now a collection development librarian at the same branch. The pair began collaborating on a story based on characters from the video-game series The Legend of Zelda, taking it in turns each week to continue and give feedback on … Continue reading Fellowship of the Fans
Librarians and youth services staff members are already experienced and qualified mentors, but the real question is: Will librarians continue to be the trusted source for media and literacy needs in all their forms? For media mentors, the answer is yes. In order for individual youth services staffers to successfully take on the role of … Continue reading Becoming a Media Mentor
How many books have you collected so far? I’ve collected 7,000 books and donated them to six different cities since November 2015. How did you start the campaign? In my 5th-grade class, I saw that books like Where the Red Fern Grows, the Shiloh series, and Crash all weren’t featuring black girls, and those … Continue reading Newsmaker: Marley Dias
