Displays are hit or miss. So often we throw together a bunch of books on a theme. In our flurry to pull just the right items and create beautiful signage to market the display, we get lost in the process and fail to ask ourselves important questions. Will patrons find this useful? Should it be … Continue reading Building Displays That Move “the Merchandise”
The HBCU Library Alliance, a consortium that promotes collaboration among information professionals and excellence in library leadership, was established in 2002 and continues to provide an array of training and development opportunities for member institutions, including photographic preservation, reports, assessments, and leadership workshops. So far, the project has documented nine success stories. Here are two … Continue reading Preserving Black Academic Library History
“Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.” —Carol Saline and Sharon J. Wohlmuth, coauthors of Sisters (Running Press, 2004) What if libraries, like sisters, could be there for one another? What if public libraries with more resources partnered with underfunded ones to help them reach their … Continue reading O Sister Library, Where Art Thou?
Protesters, who included the local chapter of the NAACP, held a news conference at the main library on January 13 to voice their opposition, stating that the increasing shift toward digital media will leave behind traditional users and those without money or access to new technology. Members of the community-based initiative Save Our Library (SOL) … Continue reading Emphasis on Ebooks Stirs Community Outcry in Illinois
In their efforts to implement ebooks, school libraries face a set of challenges that differ from those confronting their public and academic counterparts. In addition to the struggle they share with other types of libraries to offer current bestselling fiction ebooks, school libraries are also working to secure backlist fiction, curriculum-focused nonfiction, and multiple copies … Continue reading Ebooks and School Libraries
It was a rainy afternoon just before Thanksgiving in 2007 when I stood on a New York City sidewalk clutching my first e-reading device. I had just come from Amazon’s press conference where Jeff Bezos announced the launch of Kindle, a new e-reader designed to wirelessly deliver book content directly to customers in as little … Continue reading A Publisher’s Perspective on Ebooks
When the Kansas Digital Library Consortium’s contract with digital-content distributor OverDrive was up for renewal last year, two issues made Kansas State Librarian Joanne Budler decide it was time to move on and transfer the ebook titles to another vendor who could offer a better deal. First, OverDrive planned to raise license fees by almost … Continue reading Threats to Digital Lending
These are the top library stories of 2011, as selected by American Libraries editors. Share your top 10 in the comments. 1. Ebook Escapades HarperCollins imposed an arbitrary 26 loans per ebook license and Penguin refused to let libraries lend its new titles altogether. Even good e-news had a catch: Patrons who could now borrow … Continue reading Top 10 Library Stories of 2011
The digital revolution in libraries is not exactly a secret. Every day we read about some upheaval in the ebook industry, a new development in digitization, or yet another service from Google. And the recent announcement of an ALA-wide initiative on digital content and libraries, while important and necessary, won’t exactly make media headlines. It … Continue reading The Revolution Isn’t Just Digital
Join the more than 10,000 library leaders, publishers, authors, and guests in discussions about the transformation of libraries, learn firsthand from frontline Occupy movement librarians, and engage in the excitement of Youth Media Award announcements during the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting January 20–24 at the Dallas Convention Center and area hotels. More than 1,800 … Continue reading The Conversation Starts in Dallas . . .
Few would disagree that a diverse work force makes us better stewards of the communities we serve. It enhances our ability to respond to an increasingly changing world of patrons, strengthens relations with our communities, and expands the creativity of our libraries. While efforts to diversify the profession have gradually improved in the past quarter-century, … Continue reading Reflecting Our Communities
The informal parts of Midwinter—those personal meetings that take place outside of the official sessions, often over a good meal—can be among the most rewarding. Fortunately, Dallas offers plenty of options for tasty meals. Here, several Dallas librarians have shared some of their favorites. Near the convention center Within walking distance of the Convention Center, … Continue reading Dining in Dallas
