Uncategorized Archives | Page 33 of 58 | American Libraries Magazine

Library Design Showcase 2011: Sustainable Construction

Greg Landgraf | March 17, 2011

The trend towards building greener continues unabated. Features like green roofs, solar panels, landscaping to manage stormwater, and certification under the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program are becoming almost commonplace. Another feature that’s gaining popularity: geothermal well systems that use the relatively stable temperature of the ground … Continue reading Library Design Showcase 2011: Sustainable Construction →

Library Design Showcase 2011: Material Matters

Greg Landgraf | March 17, 2011

A careful choice of construction material can enhance the performance and aesthetics of a building. These facilities offer examples of how the choice of material contributes to the final product. Click on photos or names for more information about each library.

Library Design Showcase 2011: Enhanced Functionality

Greg Landgraf | March 17, 2011

Not many libraries restrict themselves to offering “traditional” library services. These are examples of how buildings support innovative library programming—or how they support everyday functions in a novel way. Click on photos or names for more information about each library.

Two Colorado Libraries Break New E-book Ground

By Beverly Goldberg | March 16, 2011

Officials of two Colorado libraries announced March 16 that they will be adding to their catalogs e-books that are published by members of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA). The Red Rocks Community College Library and Douglas County Library also revealed that by June they plan to launch click-through links so interested patrons can purchase … Continue reading Two Colorado Libraries Break New E-book Ground →

Christine Wigfall Morris and Barbara Sorey

March 16, 2011

Christine Wigfall Morris, affectionately known as Miss Chris, was hired by the City of Clearwater, Florida, in July 1949 as its first African-American librarian. Prior to working for the city, she had never been inside a public library because local segregation practices did not encourage African Americans to visit one. Now at 88, she has … Continue reading Christine Wigfall Morris and Barbara Sorey →

Learning Terrace To Embed Library throughout Drexel Campus

By Greg Landgraf | March 15, 2011

A new library facility at Drexel University in Philadelphia is “the first step toward embedding the libraries across campus,” according to Dean of Libraries Danuta Nitecki. The 3,000-square-foot Library Learning Terrace will be located on the ground floor of one of the campus’s residence halls. The space is intended to facilitate learning, rather than just … Continue reading Learning Terrace To Embed Library throughout Drexel Campus →

Must We Abide?

By D. J. Hoek | March 15, 2011

More and more, publishers, database providers, and other corporate content proprietors are taking steps to replace the traditional benefits of ownership with the rigorously controlled provisions of licensing. Known as terms of sale (TOS) or end-user license agreements (EULAs), these licenses uniformly stipulate who can (and can’t) use a certain product and how that product … Continue reading Must We Abide? →

Madison’s Mayor Joins Librarians’ Labor-Rights Rally

By Sharon McQueen | March 8, 2011

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz joined Wisconsin’s librarians March 6 as they again assembled to march to the State Capitol in opposition to Governor Scott Walker’s Budget Repair Bill (PDF file), whose passage would dramatically curtail collective bargaining rights for public-sector employees. “I was proud to join librarians to march to the Capitol and fight Scott Walker’s … Continue reading Madison’s Mayor Joins Librarians’ Labor-Rights Rally →

I’m Not Your Scapegoat

By Audrey Barbakoff | March 7, 2011

I’ll admit it: I’ve always thought unions were a little passé. I just couldn’t shake the image of a typical union dude as a hard-bitten, grimy-fingered steelworker swigging black coffee spiked with gin. So despite the fact that as a public librarian I’m a dues-paying member myself, I’ve never mustered the enthusiasm to attend a … Continue reading I’m Not Your Scapegoat →

The Little Library that Could

by Brian Mathews | March 7, 2011

Inspiring libraries are often the ones with big budgets. They have impressive buildings, enormous collections, and large staffs. The Makiki Community Library in Honolulu, Hawaii, has none of these things, but that doesn’t make it any less remarkable. This small donations-based, volunteer-driven organization effectively executes its deep-seated mission of engaging the community. In the 1940s, … Continue reading The Little Library that Could →

CES: The Librarian’s Takeaway

By Jason Griffey | February 28, 2011

While ALA Midwinter 2011 was starting in beautiful San Diego, I was on a plane to a different, but equally sunny destination—Las Vegas, Nevada—to attend the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show . . . me, and 160,000 others. CES is the largest consumer electronics show in the world, with journalists, retail buyers, and manufacturers all … Continue reading CES: The Librarian’s Takeaway →

Hope Springs Eternal

By Jennifer Burek Pierce | February 23, 2011

At this writing, the world outside my window resembles a snow globe. Despite lingering wintery conditions, I’m thinking of spring. Not just because I’ve tromped through the snow to see what’s happening to my garden. I’ve also been talking with Keiko Kasza, and although she’s working hard in the cold here and now, it will … Continue reading Hope Springs Eternal →

Latest Library Links

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Kyle Pfannenstiel and Mia Maldonado write: “House Bill 710—which passed in April, following years of similar attempts by the Idaho Legislature—requires Idaho public and school libraries to move materials deemed harmful to children, or face lawsuits. Libraries across Idaho are reworking policies to comply with the new law that some call vague. But many are waiting to see if there’d be a formal challenge to books in their collections, which they said community members have rarely filed before the law. Some libraries planned and then canceled new policies limiting access.”

Idaho Capital Sun (Boise), July 15, Apr. 10
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Alvin Wanjala writes: “The rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots has popularized the term large language model (LLM), the underlying AI tech working behind the scenes. LLMs generate output based upon a predicted set of language in response to the user input, making it appear as if the AI is capable of thinking for itself. But LLMs aren’t the only large models in town; large action models (LAMs) could be the next big thing in AI. An LAM is an artificial intelligence system capable of understanding human input and performing a corresponding action.”

MakeUseOf, July 11
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Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, was partially evacuated July 15 after university officials received an email claiming “In the name of Donald Trump I have hidden highly lethal lead azide devices in the library and cafeteria.” Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, evacuated its library and dining halls after receiving bomb threats July 11. Evacuation orders in both cases were lifted after searches found no bombs. Many public libraries in Illinois, Minnesota, and other states have experienced threats over the past year, most recently at River Forest (Ill.) Public Library.”

WDRB-TV (Louisville, Ky.), July 15; WGAL-TV (Lancaster, PA), July 15; Book Riot, July 16; WLS-TV (Chicago), July 9
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C. Allison Sills writes: “In the dance between safeguarding patron privacy and navigating the law, community colleges confront a pivotal question: How do we fulfill our legal obligations without compromising the ethical and legal bedrock of our profession? In North Carolina, where I work, since the Parents’ Bill of Rights became state law in December 2023, community colleges have been pressured to compulsorily activate all patron checkout history for the first time in decades. The need to shield individuals’ privacy from potential abuse is paramount.”

College & Research Libraries News, July
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Steph Campbell writes: “From a combination of hype from Stranger Things, captivating performances on Critical Role, acceptance of ‘nerd culture,’ and so many other reasons, tabletop role-playing games have greatly increased in popularity over the past few years, and youth activities are reflecting this. Running games is often seen as the core for facilitating this interest, but you can connect your library’s book collection to this too. By displaying books that focus on themes from your library’s game sessions, you can help players find other stories that they relate to.”

ALA Games & Gaming Round Table, July 11
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Share innovative strategies and resources with your peers by submitting an education program proposal for the 2025 LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, taking place January 24–27, 2025, in Phoenix. The submission site is open now through August 12. The programmatic theme of LibLearnX 2025 is Reimagine, Refocus, Reset: Charting a Path for the Future. The LibLearnX Program Submission Guide provides detailed explanations of the learning formats and step-by-step instructions for submitting a proposal. Consult the Program Proposal Rubric for evaluation criteria and scoring and view a video on using the submission site to create and submit your proposal.

ALA Conference Services, July 15
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Summer is in full swing. This means getting outside, soaking up some sunshine, and listening to our favorite tunes—from oldies-but-goodies to today’s hits. In Episode 97, Call Number covers music. This episode includes conversations with librarian and Grammy Award–winning French horn player Joy Worland, as well as librarians who have organized programs for local patrons who love Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and K-Pop. Attendees of ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego also share memories of the first concert they attended.

AL: The Scoop, July 15

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