Trends Archives | Page 12 of 12 | American Libraries Magazine

Leading Self-Publishing Efforts in Communities

By Lissa Staley | February 27, 2015

Any library can position itself to guide local authors toward becoming savvy and competent independent publishers. Ebooks and print-on-demand options leverage the strength of their platforms to reach larger audiences and make publishing possible within the library. Libraries can support the growth and autonomy of local writers by connecting them to relevant technology, tools, and … Continue reading Leading Self-Publishing Efforts in Communities →

The Allen County (Ind.) Public Library App

Libraries Explore Mobile Options

By Greg Landgraf | February 24, 2015

While there are vendors who offer apps that libraries can customize to their needs, some libraries have taken the step of developing mobile apps in-house. OCLS’s Shake It! was one of the first library-developed apps. Shake It! offers randomized recommendations of library materials based on age group, genre, and material type. After setting any combination … Continue reading Libraries Explore Mobile Options →

Boise (Idaho) Mayor David H. Bieter at the opening of the Boise Airport library facility on September 10, 2014.

Digital Books Are Up in the Air

By Timothy Inklebarger | February 11, 2015

Digital resources in the form of ebooks, audiobooks, and other media are beginning to take flight—literally—across the country by way of airport library branches. Branches are have popped up in airports around the country, including Philadelphia International; Seattle–Tacoma International; Manhattan (Kans.) Regional; Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood (Fla.) International; Boise (Idaho); and San Antonio International, over the last … Continue reading Digital Books Are Up in the Air →

Ferguson’s Safe Haven

By Timothy Inklebarger | November 10, 2014

After being informed that classes would be canceled, Carrie Pace, an art teacher at Ferguson’s Walnut Grove Elementary, wanted to do something, anything, to help with the recovery. While driving through town she passed the Ferguson Public Library. That’s where she got the idea to use the facility as a place for kids to go … Continue reading Ferguson’s Safe Haven →

Two different types of refreshable Braille display laptop readers demonstrated at the 2011 Universal Learning Design Conference, Brno, Czech Republic.

Promoting Access for Blind and Visually Impaired Patrons

By Mike L. Marlin | November 6, 2014

At the 37th UNESCO General Conference in Paris in November 2013, a parallel resolution passed overwhelmingly. Endorsed by the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and developed by its Libraries Serving Persons with Print Disabilities (LPD) section, the “Manifesto for Libraries Serving Persons with a Print Disability” (the LPD … Continue reading Promoting Access for Blind and Visually Impaired Patrons →

A Novel in 30 Days

By Phil Morehart | November 1, 2014

“It’s a natural partnership,” Lissa Staley, public services librarian at Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library (TSCPL), tells American Libraries. “We have everything you need to write a novel.” TSCPL offers two four-hour “write-ins” in November, allowing NaNoWriMo participants to work surrounded by others writers. A fiction-writing workshop and a kick-off event are held … Continue reading A Novel in 30 Days →

How Libraries Help Kids Stand Up to Bullying

By Beverly Goldberg | October 1, 2014

Before study hall was over, the principal was dealing with the perpetrators. “We handled it all immediately,” Watson tells American Libraries. “That’s a key role of what librarians can do in schools to be a force against bullying. If the students know you’re there, and that you’re an advocate for them, they’ll come to you.” … Continue reading How Libraries Help Kids Stand Up to Bullying →

Reference librarian Zac Laugheed of Denver Public Library.

Custom Library Book Bikes Roll Out Across US

By Chris Francis | August 13, 2014

“We were lucky with the weather, really,” Eric Litschel, adult services associate at Cleveland Heights–University Heights Public Library (CHUHPL), tells American Libraries. “The worst day I rode was probably a little over 10 degrees.” Sam Lapides, special projects coordinator at CHUHPL, says the library’s Book Bike program, initiated in spring 2013, was supposed to run … Continue reading Custom Library Book Bikes Roll Out Across US →

Detroit Public Library Provides Food to Fight Child Hunger

By Megan Cottrell | February 24, 2014

“Our kids come to our library branches starving,” says Merritt, executive director of the Friends of the Detroit Public Library Foundation. “They can’t concentrate.” Luckily, the person who asked the question was also someone who was poised to help—Brian Glowiak, vice president of the Chrysler Foundation, the charitable arm of the Detroit-based car company. The … Continue reading Detroit Public Library Provides Food to Fight Child Hunger →

Taking Aim at the Reality of Guns in Libraries

By Beverly Goldberg | January 14, 2014

The complexities involved are exemplified by a court case in Michigan, Capital Area District Library v. Michigan Open Carry (CADL v. MOC). The library sued MOC in 2011 for conducting open-carry protests inside CADL despite firearms being forbidden there. MOC prevailed in the lower courts, and the state supreme court declined to hear CADL’s appeal … Continue reading Taking Aim at the Reality of Guns in Libraries →

Libraries on the Vine

By Phil Morehart | December 3, 2013

“We avoided it for awhile,” says Gail Shackleton, director of library services at Appleby College, a 7–12 grade school in Ontario. She and library technician Stefania Mulyk administer the library’s social media presence, which already includes Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and YouTube. They waited to adopt Vine until four months after the app’s introduction because of … Continue reading Libraries on the Vine →

Several libraries and nonprofits are making adaptive toys available for checkout to children with special needs. (Photo: National Lekotek Center)

Toy Libraries: A Place to Play

By Megan Cottrell | December 3, 2013

Eannel, then director of the children’s library, tapped the mom on the shoulder and told her she had something for her son. A short while later she brought out a Side-Lyer toy—a device made for children with special needs, with beads and lights that make sounds and vibrate when lightly touched. “Within a minute, he … Continue reading Toy Libraries: A Place to Play →

Latest Library Links

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Anne Ford writes: “In the 2019 election year, American Libraries, in partnership with PLA, tracked more than 100 library referenda across 24 states. A large selection of them appears here and will appear in our January/February 2020 issue. While this year’s referenda crop appears less bountiful than last (in 2018, we featured 146 across 33 states), the rate of success is higher: Nearly 90% of this year’s votes ended in the library’s favor (as compared with last year’s rate of nearly 80%). In terms of the number of referenda approved, Ohio and New York were the front-runners; each boasted 20 or more victories. Colorado, too, had a big year, with at least eight measures passed.”

American Libraries feature, Nov. 12
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Matteo Di Franco writes: “In a previous post, conservators discussed the challenges of preserving manuscript fragments. But catalogers also face fragment frustrations. One of the biggest challenges for catalogers is the reconstruction of the origin and provenance of the manuscripts up to their acquisition by the library, a problem that becomes even more difficult in the absence of documents. In such cases, it is down to the manuscripts themselves to provide clues to their history. Catalogers and conservators gather evidence from script, inscriptions by scribes or previous owners, decoration, construction, organization, and physical details.”

Cambridge University Library Special Collections, Nov. 12
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Nick Guy writes: “For a few bucks, a good USB car charger can charge your phone and other devices faster than the port that came in your car. After testing more than 60 models, we think the best car charger is the dual-port Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger. You can fast-charge phones, tablets, and laptops from its USB-C port, and simultaneously charge a second phone on its USB-A port. No other charger offers as much power for a better price.”

Wirecutter, Nov. 12
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Campbell County (Ky.) Public Library has four branches serving 92,000 residents, about 9% of whom are living below the poverty line. When an instructor at an early literacy skills workshop mentioned that something as basic as lacking clean underwear can keep some children from staying in the classroom, the library’s managers brainstormed a creative way to help. CCPL runs a campaign November 1–December 31 each year to collect new underwear for kids in sizes 4–16. The campaign has been so successful that it now gets help from Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey.

American Libraries Spotlight, Nov./Dec.
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Anne Ford writes: “As a college student, Tiffini Travis (now advisor for information literacy and library instructional assessment at California State University, Long Beach) had to deliver a class presentation. So she stood up. She looked at the faces all around her. And she ran out of the room. How do you go from fleeing the room to completely losing your fear? In large part, the answer is practice. But while rehearsal is necessary, it’s insufficient. Speaking effectively in front of others requires certain strategies. And Travis, along with several other librarians who regularly present in front of audiences, has many tips to offer the tongue-tied.”

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.
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Colleen R. Lee writes: “As a former 6th-grade English teacher, I miss teaching kids how to be writers. As a school librarian, I realize that reading and writing go hand in hand and there is no reason writing cannot be a part of my library. For the last three years, I have sponsored a writing club for 4th- and 5th-grade students. Our membership started out at 25 students, and we have grown to 56 students this year. The main objective of the writing club is to let kids have fun with writing. Each year, we start off with getting prepared for National Novel Writing Month in November.”

Knowledge Quest blog, Nov. 12
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Elisa Shoenberger writes: “Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple opened up new narrative horizons for me. A fiction book composed of lists, transcripts, and more? Yes, please. I began seeking out books with unusual narrative structures, which isn’t the easiest category to find. It gave booksellers a big challenge when I asked for recommendations. I wanted more. But I found that many of these books were just too hard to navigate. But one day at The Book Cellar in Chicago, a bookseller presented me with a YA book that fit the bill, and I found others. So here are seven clever YA books out there with incredibly innovative structures.”

Book Riot, Nov. 12

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