Banned Books Week, September 27–October 3, celebrates the idea that the freedom to read and access ideas can transform lives, but when books are banned, readers are blocked from seeing all viewpoints and perspectives. Because so many books that include racial issues and diverse characters are challenged, it is particularly important that we create public … Continue reading Don’t Take the Freedom to Read for Granted
Attendees at Midwinter engage in the face-to-face committee work that moves projects forward and builds on virtual collaboration, as well as quality conversations with exhibitors on a less crowded exhibit floor. They will return to their libraries and other institutions with the renewed sense of energy generated by in-person events, as well as new tools … Continue reading ALA Midwinter 2016: Get Ready Now!
After a successful two-year pilot project to make driver’s license renewals easier for state residents via public kiosks, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) began implementing similar kiosks in 11 libraries in late May. One of those kiosks is inside Ames (Iowa) Public Library. Mary Logsdon, the library’s adult services manager, says providing the … Continue reading Driver’s License Kiosks Expand to Iowa Libraries
Institutions first offered services to those who developed programming files to be printed but couldn’t afford a 3D printer, costing thousands of dollars. Those most likely to use such a space were people in the math and engineering fields. In recent years the spaces have begun to appeal to larger audiences; at colleges, this means … Continue reading Making It in the Academic World
What Graves didn’t know was that by the time he brought them to the dealer, the owner had already seen the items at the library a few weeks earlier. “I had been talking about them to the owner while he was visiting our special collections area,” says special collections librarian Bill Cook of Bangor (Maine) … Continue reading Thwarting Book Thieves
For years, libraries have helped bridge the digital divide by offering internet access at brick-and-mortar branches. Many are expanding this mission by offering patrons mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for checkout. New York City launched a program this year that provides 10,000 mobile hotspots to patrons across three library systems, and in 2014, Chicago Public Library rolled … Continue reading Bridging the Tech Gap
“I had so little experience in libraries before I went to library school,” she says. “So I was especially keen to get some real-world experience.” Lucky for her, there was a library—the Environmental Protection Agency Research Triangle Park (EPA-RTP) Library—that would offer Lamoureux an internship with that real-world experience she was craving. The internship, she … Continue reading Forty Years of Interns—UNC-Chapel Hill
![Scott County (Ky.) conducted a simulation of an active shooter event in their library, producing a video. (Photo: Georgetown [Ky.] Police Department)](https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/activeshooter2.jpg)
If guards are on duty at a library, they are typically not armed. In small communities, only one staff member may be working in the space. This is why, in addition to fire drills and emergency planning, libraries are beginning to offer training to react to an active shooter. As defined by the Department of … Continue reading Libraries Invest in Active Shooter Training
A pretty typical moment for most librarians, Diggs says, except that Tuesday morning, April 28, was no typical day. Just 12 hours before, rioting had erupted across the street from the Pennsylvania Avenue branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, when protests against the high-profile death of Baltimore resident Freddie Gray turned violent. As a … Continue reading Libraries Respond to Community Needs in Times of Crisis
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
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
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
