Libraries accumulate more piles of things and collections than you can imagine. Pare these down to manageable portions prior to the move. Perhaps it’s the physical space that separates the items to be moved that allows them to seem small. Be aware that, when combined, these piles and collections will grow exponentially when you actually … Continue reading Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me?
What led you to write about growing up in Iran in the late 1970s and the period after that? The first time I left Iran for Austria I was 14 (that was 1984), and I heard people with all kinds of prejudices—especially about countries like mine. It was really the most sensational stuff. They were … Continue reading Newsmaker: Marjane Satrapi
The idea of an all-nighter might not hold much appeal past a certain age. Many librarians, however, are using all-nighters to build an enthusiastic audience of student users through the Long Night Against Procrastination. One student at Crozet Library, a branch of Jefferson-Madison (Va.) Regional Library, left a remarkable thank-you note with young adult librarian … Continue reading Long Nights Build Library Use
Welcome to the 2014 Library Design Showcase, our annual celebration of new and newly renovated libraries. These libraries are shining examples of innovative architecture that address user needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways. Open Spaces Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons, Salem (Mass.) State University The new learning commons at Salem State is … Continue reading The 2014 Library Design Showcase
The series has helped position the library as a center for creative cultural exchange within the UCLA and Los Angeles–area communities and has provided a pedagogical opportunity for faculty to perform with their students. “I’m rewarded by seeing the concentration and enjoyment on audience members’ faces, and the relief and excitement from the faculty and … Continue reading Bookend: The Right Notes
This article examines the rise of values-based diversity as the next evolutionary step in workplace diversity management and the implications of this new approach for librarianship. “Values-based diversity has a valid place in libraries’ strategic thinking,” says Robert C. Harris, human resources manager at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. “It’s an appreciation of diversity that’s not … Continue reading Eyeing the New Diversity
The exhibit hall at the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas provided both a respite from the weather and a chance to learn about the latest developments in library technology. As the world’s largest exhibition of library products, the ALA Annual Conference continues to be a unique opportunity to assess current technologies from an almost … Continue reading Supporting Print, Digital, and Mobile
Moorefield-Lang, a former school librarian who is now education and applied social sciences librarian at Virginia Tech, was joined by Katherine Messier, managing director at Johnston, Rhode Island–based Mobile Beacon, a nonprofit that provides broadband service to libraries and other nonprofits; Bohyun Kim, digital access librarian at Florida International University Medical Library in Miami; and … Continue reading Left to Our Devices
Many libraries are eagerly digitizing their materials and making them accessible online. This enthusiasm often stems from patrons, who are excited to make use of the resources on the internet, or from administrators, who are intent on elevating the library’s public profile. But the push for digitization often puts pressure on library staff to make … Continue reading Metadata for Image Collections
There is money in Azerbaijan and plenty of it. Petroleum wealth mostly. Two-thirds of the country is rich in oil and natural gas, and Western companies are tapping oil fields in the Caspian Sea that the communist regime left untouched during the 70 years Azerbaijan spent as a part of the Soviet Union. Change is accelerating … Continue reading Building a Pipeline to Education in Azerbaijan
Radical literature that calls for destroying the status quo and hate speech that assaults various demographic groups may well be uncomfortable to read, but study of the human condition wouldn’t be honest or complete if it didn’t take a hard, thorough look into humanity’s darker corners. On the other hand, maintaining collections for that kind … Continue reading Extremism @ the Library
Su Kim Chung is head of special collections public services at UNLV Libraries—home to the Center for Gaming Research, which includes a world-renowned Gaming Collection that documents the history, economics, and regulation of the gaming industry; and the Oral History Research Center, which collects oral narratives from local residents. Several of UNLV’s digital collections provide … Continue reading Bookend: Vintage Vegas
