AMERICAN LIBRARIES: What appealed to you about becoming executive director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) American Association of School Librarians (AASL)? SYLVIA Knight NORTON: As a school librarian, AASL is my professional association. Much of the knowledge I have today about libraries and education was gained through AASL and ALA. I looked to the … Continue reading Newsmaker: Sylvia Knight Norton
As the first treaty devoted to copyright exceptions, the June 28, 2013, agreement represents a significant development in international copyright law. (The 1886 Berne Convention contains exceptions for quotations, illustration in teaching, and news reporting.) ALA worked closely with the US delegation throughout the negotiating process. Through the Library Copyright Alliance, ALA’s views were represented … Continue reading How the Marrakesh Treaty Opens Vistas for Print-Disabled Readers
Welcome to the 2013 Library Design Showcase, AL’s annual celebration of new and newly renovated libraries. These libraries are shining examples of innovative architecture that addresses user needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways. Rooms with a View Spartanburg County (S.C.) Public Library—Middle Tyger Branch Middle Tyger library’s renovation took full advantage of the … Continue reading Building the Future
AMERICAN LIBRARIES: What motivated you to run for the office of state superintendent of North Dakota schools? KIRSTEN BAESLER: Public education has been my passion my entire adult life. I am passionate about teaching and learning and view myself as a public servant advocating for the needs of children of all ages. How has the … Continue reading Newsmaker: Kirsten Baesler
Arizona House Bill 2165, which was enacted in April, adds digital books and electronic records to the state’s existing privacy law, stipulating that anyone who releases information about a user’s library activities will be charged with a misdemeanor. “Over the years we’ve dealt with internet privacy for many different reasons, including identity theft,” Arizona Rep. … Continue reading Expanding Privacy Legislation to Include Ebooks
At the beginning of every online business reference workshop that I teach, I ask students to submit a stumper: a business reference question that has them shaking their heads. (Or shaking in their boots!) This is a sampling of some of those tricky questions as experienced by real librarians and researchers. STUMPERS: Companies Q: I … Continue reading Making Sense of Business Reference
Timothy Egan received the 2013 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction for Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher. Richard Ford received the Medal for Excellence in Fiction, for Canada. The following excerpts are from interviews with Egan and Ford conducted by Booklist editors Brad Hooper and Donna Seaman, respectively. TIMOTHY EGAN, SHORT NIGHTS OF … Continue reading A Q&A with Winners of the 2013 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction
The act of reading is evolving. Today’s readers can experience the same story as they toggle between audiobooks in the car, ebooks on the iPad, and paperbacks at home, and young people in particular are naturals in this transmedia world. Introducing these digital natives to literature as audiobooks can be as easy as maintaining a … Continue reading Sound Literature
Linda Eschen began her first day as a library volunteer at Livermore Valley (Calif.) Charter School when the school itself opened in 2004, unpacking boxes and cataloging books. The newly formed school already had a library collection of sorts, says Eschen—an assortment of donated books in a teacher’s garage. Since then, she’s become the full-time librarian for 1,085 … Continue reading The Void in Charter Schools
Technology, as always, was on display at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Consistent with the strong attendance figures, activity in the exhibit hall seemed especially brisk this year. As the largest exhibition of library-oriented technology and content products worldwide, ALA Annual offers librarians a unique opportunity to review the latest offerings from nearly every … Continue reading Enabling Access, Engagement, and Efficiency
Librarians are looking at the possibility of reviewing apps for developers and putting our expert imprimatur on their content and value, just as we already do for books and other formats. Regardless of what you think are the best ways to incorporate apps into services and programs for children, librarians agree that they are important … Continue reading Apps and Autism
The activists behind Libraries Without Borders (Bibliothèques Sans Frontières) understand that priority must be given to food, water, shelter, and medicine. They also recognize that little attention is paid to another basic human necessity: the knowledge resources needed to cope with catastrophe. Founded in Paris in 2007, Libraries Without Borders (LWB) provides targeted books and … Continue reading Disaster Relief … with Books
