The library workplace is no more immune to violent incidents than any other venue, sad to say, and just as vulnerable to physical attacks by troubled colleagues as from visitors. Consider these headline-grabbing situations, all taking place in libraries within a three-week period this fall: A 19-year-old freshman toting an AK-47 (surveillance video, 1:37) enters … Continue reading How to Be Prepared in Case Violence Strikes
Here’s the problem: How does Suzie Senior find out about the local Kiwanis scholarship? Or the one offered by the local hospital? Or the one offered by the local cancer support group? Who in your community collects information on scholarships offered by local clubs, service organizations, and other mostly nonprofits? Not the college or high … Continue reading Giving out Money: Helping Students Find Local Scholarships
August 29, 2010, marked the 40th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium in East Los Angeles, and it brought back many memories. I was part of a library contingent marching in 1970 in protest of the disproportionate number of Mexican Americans dying in the Vietnam War; some 30,000 other Chicanos were marching too. After the police … Continue reading Chicano Librarianship
“Anything that gets kids into reading is fantastic,” says Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who recently posed for an ALA Celebrity READ poster along with his Potter costars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. ALA Graphics released the three posters just in time for the premiere of the first part of the last film in the … Continue reading Harry Potter READs: Actor Daniel Radcliffe on Reading
As libraries face the departure of staff with well-honed reference skills, years of experience in the community, and deep knowledge of the collection and traditional resources, how can we identify and retain their departing expertise—the gold in the library’s intellectual vault? How can we ensure that newly minted employees with e-knowledge skills have access to … Continue reading Wait! You Can’t Retire Without Sharing That with Us
The most exciting things have happened at the Houston Public Library’s Central Library since it reopened in May of 2008 after a two-year renovation: families are playing together and enjoying each other’s company; brothers, sisters, strangers, and friends are playing and learning together. Teen boys who now think the library is the best place to … Continue reading Gaming 2.0
The message of the American Library Association can best be summarized in one word, a word we all understand, a word that holds us together as librarians. That word is “Read.” “Why do we need libraries when all the information in the world is on the internet?” It’s a tiresome question that American librarians are … Continue reading Libraries Now More Than Ever
There were many librarians among the 150,000 people who gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the 10th Annual National Book Festival, September 25. Reporting for American Libraries, Rocco Staino of the New York Library Association talked with some of them about the festival in the Pavilion of the States: For Adele Eskin, middle … Continue reading Librarians Laud National Book Festival
The year 2009 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, as well as the 150th anniversary of the publication of his most famous book, The Origin of Species. Darwin’s work is memorable for its theories about the survival of the fittest, and by fittest he meant those species best able to adapt … Continue reading Fit Libraries Are Future-Proof
On July 26, 2010, thousands of people applauded the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandated that disabled individuals be accorded the same rights as persons without disabilities. The celebration stimulated reflection and debate on the effectiveness of the law. No consensus about success has been reached, but … Continue reading Twenty Years of Assistive Technologies
South African librarian Ellen Tise is president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, 2009–2011. American Libraries caught up with her during the 76th IFLA World Library and Information Congress, August 10–15, in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she talked about international relations, energizing the profession, and open access to knowledge. American Libraries: How was … Continue reading Ellen Tise on International Relations, Energizing the Profession, and Access to Knowledge
A tireless crusader for international cooperation and exchange, Jesus Lau is currently serving on the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. At IFLA’s August conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, he talked with American Libraries about the value of his international activites, especially his ongoing involvement with the American Library Association. Lau … Continue reading Mexican Library Association President Jesus Lau on International Engagement
