Archives

Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez on Libraries

January 25, 2011

In what looks very much like the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández recently visited American Library Association Headquarters in Chicago, accompanied by First Lady Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, to talk with ALA staff about libraries. Fernández spoke passionately, but pragmatically, about his plans for developing a superior public library system … Continue reading Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez on Libraries


46 Chicago

1946

January 20, 2011

The war was over, soldiers were returning to civilian life, and governments were beginning to rebuild. Beneath the euphoria, though, the Cold War was gathering steam, and a peculiar mood–a mix of relief, ennui, and alienation–was taking hold in the minds of survivors. Out of this cauldron of emotions came film noir, which critic Nicholas … Continue reading 1946


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Get Ahead of Outsourcing

January 19, 2011

How will politicians and library leaders respond to the challenges of shrinking budgets, increased community expectations, and ever aggressive competition? One approach is to replace current library management teams with private profit-driven companies whose first strategy is to attack labor cost. In a September 26 New York Times article titled “Anger as a Private Company … Continue reading Get Ahead of Outsourcing


Prison Librarian

The Accidental Prison Librarian

January 17, 2011

Just a few years out of Harvard, Avi Steinberg left his job writing obituaries for the Boston Globe and applied for a position as a prison librarian, even though he was not a librarian and had never been inside a prison. As he tells it in Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison … Continue reading The Accidental Prison Librarian


Keeping Up, 2.0 Style

January 13, 2011

When I first received my library degree, I religiously kept up with blogs and journals in my areas of professional interest. I’d read blogs through an RSS reader—in my case, Google Reader—and I’d try to remember to read the journals I was most interested in when they came out. Now, as the mother of a … Continue reading Keeping Up, 2.0 Style


Your Morning Metaphor

January 7, 2011

I have just entered the seventh decade of my journey through life and I have yet to encounter a true “morning person.” Maybe they exist. Maybe they are those people you see jogging at 5:30 a.m. on those atypical days when you have to rise extra early to catch an early morning flight. My guess … Continue reading Your Morning Metaphor


RDA Guide

New from ALA

January 6, 2011

Just in time for the switch from AACR2 to the new RDA (Resource Description and Access) standard designed specifically for the digital environment comes Chris Oliver’s Introducing RDA: A Guide to the Basics. Readers looking for a how-to will need to look elsewhere, but this book provides a useful overview on RDA, its alignment with … Continue reading New from ALA



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The Year in Review 2010

January 3, 2011

1. Supply and Demand Several Fox TV affiliates aired a segment June 28 titled: “Are Libraries Necessary, or a Waste of Tax Money?” The answer should have been apparent before the question was even asked: Gate counts and circulation documented that libraries were more in demand than ever, and patrons were not about to surrender … Continue reading The Year in Review 2010


Info Pro: Adopting Tools from the World of Business Consulting

Info Pro: Adopting Tools from the World of Business Consulting

January 3, 2011

As professionals serving increasingly business-savvy consumers, librarians must realize that we are, in fact, consultants. As such, we need to adopt some of the tools and thinking of business consultants to better communicate our value to library customers. We do that by creating what is called a ServiceScape environment, which is essential for building and … Continue reading Info Pro: Adopting Tools from the World of Business Consulting


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An Exit Interview

December 30, 2010

What better way to make sure you’re asked the right questions in your exit interview than to conduct it yourself? So after 22 years on the American Libraries staff, 15 of them at the helm, here comes mine: Why are you leaving AL? I’m listening to a little voice inside that says it’s time to … Continue reading An Exit Interview


Keith Michael Fiels

A Remarkable Ending to a Tough Year

December 28, 2010

Given the tough economy and the fiscal crisis that has affected libraries of all types, it was no surprise that the American Library Association found itself facing a $2-million revenue shortfall this past year—about 10%. Thanks to a lot of hard work on the part of members, management, and staff, we were able to reduce … Continue reading A Remarkable Ending to a Tough Year