ALA News School librarians and intellectual freedom web meetings Webinar: Understanding credit scores and reports Awards & Grants Honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Newbery Visionaries at the Darien Library 2014 Margaret A. Edwards Collection Development Grant winners Libraries in the News Four Queens Library vice-presidents resign Guam has not had any … Continue reading Latest Library Links, January 16, 2015
We are looking for libraries that are shining examples of innovative architecture and that address patrons’ needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways. Previous submissions have consisted of projects ranging from innovative kids’ spaces and outdoor facilities to expanded high-tech academic libraries and restorations of libraries devastated by natural disasters. If your library is on … Continue reading Submit Your Architectural Project to the 2015 Library Design Showcase
If recent news about Chicago's polar vortex has you wondering about what to wear for the Midwinter Meeting, we have one piece of advice: Layer up. The cityscape is still breathtaking, as this bird's-eye video from a drone shows.
Midwinter Meeting News Making the most of Midwinter American Libraries Online Libraries use dog therapy programs to reach reluctant readers Libraries in the News Nigerian government urged to establish libraries in prisons Detroit Public Library adds free digital download service Three cities bid for Obama Presidential Library Issues Sony leak reveals efforts to revive SOPA … Continue reading Latest Library Links, December 22, 2014
Last fall, I paid assiduous attention to early childhood literacy, striking up conversations on the subject and creating lengthy lists of resources. My obsessive information seeking supports students in my community engagement class who are helping Sioux City (Iowa) Public Library (SCPL) staffers locate area organizations with an interest in children’s reading. Library Director Betsy … Continue reading Mind the Gap
I believe diversity is an essential value for everyone working in a library or pursuing a degree in library and information science or a related field. Libraries that have the most significant impact on their communities understand and embrace the importance of diversity. They showcase their librarians, staff, and volunteers as members of a vibrant … Continue reading Everyone’s Work
In May, then-President Barbara Stripling brought together a hundred individuals—and about half from outside the library community—at the Library of Congress to discuss the future of libraries. In the process, these individuals also helped launch a new ALA Center for the Future of Libraries. Later that month, Miguel Figueroa was named director of the … Continue reading Who Will Shape the Future?
Three-dimensional printers, apps, social networks. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of responding to the newest technology or educational stratagem when planning your program of service for youth and their families. Instead, start by thinking about the impact you want to have on children and teens and develop services that support those. For … Continue reading Outcomes-Based Futures
As we gear up for the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Chicago next month, check out this two-minute time-lapse video that documents the work that went into setting up—and breaking down—the 2014 ALA Annual Conference this past summer in Las Vegas.
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from an article in the January/February 2015 issue of American Libraries. The rise of seed exchanges—now numbering more than 300 across the US—has been accompanied by plenty of enthusiasm from librarians and patrons. But Cumberland County (Pa.) Library System’s Simpson Seed Library attracted a whirlwind of controversy and misinformation … Continue reading Seed Libraries and State Laws
When I travel, the first thing I typically seek out in any new city is its public library. It gives me immense pleasure to see a thriving library, full of patrons taking advantage of all the materials and services each unique place has to offer. But I know I am not alone. Any bibliophile, library … Continue reading The Price of Patronage
And now, word has reached me that the Internet Public Library (IPL), which I wrote about in the last issue, will no longer be supported at the end of this year. The news means that IPL will just miss making its 20th birthday next March 17 (the happy coincidence of my Irish heritage and a … Continue reading RIP, IPL
