Serials Solutions announced September 13 that its web-scale discovery product Summon has reached the 100-customer mark. (The company chosen not to name its 100th customer because “it’s a three-way dead-on tie,” according to media representative Beth Dempsey.) The single-search-box serials discovery service went on sale in July 2009. “The proof that our approach is working … Continue reading Summon Summons 100th Customer
Libraries around the country and the world are hosting events this month as part of the September Project, a grassroots effort to encourage library programming about freedom during the month of September. The September Project was founded in 2004 by Sarah Washburn, library program manager at TechSoup, and David Silver, associate professor of media studies … Continue reading Libraries Host September Project Programming
South African librarian Ellen Tise is president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, 2009–2011. American Libraries caught up with her during the 76th IFLA World Library and Information Congress, August 10–15, in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she talked about international relations, energizing the profession, and open access to knowledge. American Libraries: How was … Continue reading Ellen Tise on International Relations, Energizing the Profession, and Access to Knowledge
The Midwest City (Okla.) Library and a Muslim pre-K–10 school in this Oklahoma City–area community have collaborated on an exhibit in the library’s lobby of student paintings that interpret the Islamic tradition of the 99 Muslim names of God. Debuting August 15, the exhibit created by the Muslim Mercy School is scheduled to run through … Continue reading Islamic Library Exhibit Outshines National Rancor
A tireless crusader for international cooperation and exchange, Jesus Lau is currently serving on the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. At IFLA’s August conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, he talked with American Libraries about the value of his international activites, especially his ongoing involvement with the American Library Association. Lau … Continue reading Mexican Library Association President Jesus Lau on International Engagement
Scenes from the seventh National Conference of African American Librarians, "Culture Keepers VII: Bridging the Divide with Information Access, Activism, and Advocacy, held August 4-8, in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA).
Thanks to the vision and perseverance of Yohannes Gebregeorgis, founder of Ethiopia Reads, a new library worthy of any developed country opened August 20 in Mekele, the first of its kind in this small and grindingly poor city. The Segenat Children and Youth Library in the region of Tigray is located in a sturdy, free-standing … Continue reading Ethiopia Reads
With the fall election season gearing up across North America, it seemed that the staff of the Calgary (Alberta) Public Library was doing its part to get out the vote when the Canadian Broadcasting Company reported August 25 that the library had launched a “Don’t Be an Idiot” PR campaign to promote its upcoming mayoral-candidate … Continue reading Canadian Library Squelches Rumors of a “Don’t Be an Idiot” Campaign
Once when I was working the reference desk, a seemingly normal community college student (no exposed underwear, multiple tongue piercings, neck tattoos, or a message shaven into his hair) asked why so many Civil War battles were fought in national parks. He wanted information on the subject because he had decided to write a research … Continue reading Why Librarianship Endures
Intellectual freedom is one of our bedrock values, and as the intellectual freedom issues and challenges libraries face are always evolving, so must the profession’s response. The eighth edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual offers, among other updated material, three “new Interpretations” of the Library Bill of Rights; 10 revised Interpretations; resolutions on the retention … Continue reading New from ALA: September 2010
Have you noticed that we seem to have entered an era of heightened competitiveness? Lots of wagon-circling and turf-protecting. Libraryland as one big happy family aside, shrinking funds are bringing out the tiger in us. For example, the decades-long competition between OCLC and rival library vendors came to a head July 28, when for-profit SkyRiver … Continue reading The Competition Intensifies
Elmore Leonard’s friends call him Dutch. Many of his fans do, too, and while using a nickname presumes a degree of familiarity to which those of us who only know Leonard through his books aren’t entitled, we can’t help ourselves. We feel like we know him. Leonard’s fans tend to stay the course; his 44th … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Dutch
