I was observing students conducting research to see how they approached it and what tools they used, but when I saw Steve use that discovery tool, it was difficult to focus on anything else. Seeing that he was so overwhelmed by the number of links and buttons on an item record that he couldn’t even … Continue reading Through Their Eyes
For ebooks, it seems, if all is not well, then it is better than it might have been. For the past few years, ebooks have taken an increasingly larger share of the book market in the United States. The rate of growth has recently slowed, but the overall proportion of digital sales continues to rise. … Continue reading Beating the Odds: Building a Publishing “Maker” Culture
As I write this, I’m preparing for my annual trip with a couple of dear friends to Las Vegas. This is more nice meal/Cirque du Soleil than bottle service/strip show; we’re the dignified types—though one does get to see a great many more aspects of the human condition there than in other places, for sure. … Continue reading Rolling the Dice
When library staff members serving youth tell me how much busier they are when school is out for the summer (and in preparing for students’ vacation time), it makes me a little crazy. I say to myself, “Shouldn’t library staff be this busy all year long?” And really, what message does it send when talking … Continue reading The Myth of Busy Summers
Young librarians beginning their careers this year will retire in 2054 from public libraries vastly different from the ones they enter. A continual storm of disruptive changes will affect the role and form of the public library. In response, public libraries will have to profoundly alter what they do and how they do it. Indeed, … Continue reading Through the Google Glass, Dimly
In some ways, it is the subtlety of the act of harassment that allows it to be so often overlooked: When I worked in IT, sexism and misogyny were the unspoken accepted practice. I learned to navigate that world to the best of my ability, knowing that to fight back could mean professional death. So … Continue reading Speaking Up
In any conversation with ALA members, advocacy consistently emerges as a number one priority. This coming year, we’re taking a fresh look at advocacy, and our vision for advocacy going forward. Our new vision of advocacy needs to reflect both what I would describe as “upstream” and “downstream” advocacy. “Downstream” advocacy is what happens when … Continue reading A New Vision of Advocacy
A career in librarianship constantly challenges us to reimagine our roles and revitalize our knowledge to meet the evolving nature of the information environment and the changing needs of those we serve. Becoming a librarian is a commitment to being a lifetime learner. “Learning” is an action word. It means actively exploring new possibilities, beyond what is … Continue reading Learners for a Lifetime
Have you watched American Libraries Live, our free, streaming library program? If you want to sample it, we have an excerpt in our June issue from our mobile technology in the library program. Hosted by Heather Moorefield-Lang, education and applied social sciences librarian for Virginia Tech, the expert panel included Bohyun Kim, digital access librarian … Continue reading Don’t Let It Stay in Vegas
Point Paul Signorelli, Learning advocate and consultant, active MOOC participant Are MOOCs here to stay? Why? MOOCs do appear to be here to stay as part of the overall online learning environment. The fact that they gained so much attention last year speaks well of the possibilities they offer in extending the reach of learning … Continue reading MOOCs
This winter, I had the chance to explore an entirely new teaching experience, at least new to me. Along with my good friend Mike Eisenberg, I co-taught a large undergraduate course to 160 sophomores and juniors, many of whom are intending to apply to our baccalaureate informatics program. It’s very different from my usual 20–30 … Continue reading None of Your Beeswax
Staff members launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2013 through the website Indiegogo to raise $30,000 to buy a statue of the Incredible Hulk, a stack of new graphic novels, and new technology, including a 3D printer and an iMac with a drawing pad. Did the library hit its funding goal with a legendary Hulk smash? … Continue reading Libraries Find Success in Crowdfunding
