While it’s the contents of the library, and the activities that take place there, that support a community in times good and bad, the physical structure plays an important role in how—and how well—the library can fulfill its mission. The 2011 Library Design Showcase highlights the best in new and renovated library buildings, divided into … Continue reading Library Design Showcase 2011
Readers whose knowledge of Scandinavian crime fiction goes beyond Stieg Larsson know that it was Henning Mankell who jump-started what has developed into a nearly 20-year golden age. The very fact that Sweden could foster a new spin on the Chandlerian hard-boiled novel seemed puzzling initially. How could there be crime novels in such a … Continue reading Wallander’s Last Stand
At my library, I’m in charge of collection development for our largest academic division. Sometimes I find the task daunting as I struggle to find a balance between buying things that will likely get used today and anticipating what might be needed in the future. The choices I make will influence the long-term health of … Continue reading Let’s Not Borrow Trouble
In New on the Job (2006), Ruth Toor and Hilda K. Weisburg provided useful advice for school librarians just starting out in their careers. Now, in Being Indespensable: A School Librarian’s Guide to Becoming an Invaluable Leader, they provide a template for librarians trying to save their jobs. The idea is that by “Knowing Who … Continue reading New From ALA Editions
Because many libraries are staff-strapped as well as cash-strapped, do-it-yourself programming is a growing trend. Amanda Moss Struckmeyer and Svetha Hetzler base their book, DIY Programming and Book Displays: How to Stretch Your Programming without Stretching Your Budget and Staff , on ideas they came up with at Middleton (Wis.) Public Library. They set up and … Continue reading DIY Programming
Michael P. Sauers used his own experience as a blogger (at travelinlibrarian.info) to explain the technology an easy-to-understand way in the first edition of Blogging and RSS: A Librarian’s Guide, published in 2006. Since then, he has gone into Twitter in a big way (more than 14.000 tweets) and an important change in the new … Continue reading (Micro)blogging in the Library
Though not unique to the United States, the public library movement has flourished here, sprung from a late-19th-century ideal of educating the masses and defined by pioneers such as Melvil Dewey. The mission remains essentially the same, but the public library (like all libraries) is undergoing some heavy self-examination. In the introduction to Public Libraries … Continue reading 21st-Century Public Libraries
A group of children gather in the children’s area to listen to a story. At first glance, this could be a program occurring any day of the week in any library across the country. However, it is a special day, April 30, and the children are enjoying books like Book Fiesta! by Pat Mora and … Continue reading Building a Culture of Literacy through Día
Mobile devices are ubiquitous in today’s society, and there’s no evidence that that is going to change. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, as of mid-2010, 82% of American adults own a mobile phone or a mobile computing device that works as a phone. it is crucial for librarians to understand mobile … Continue reading Libraries and Mobile Services
A key goal of the 2011–2015 ALA strategic plan is to provide leadership in the transformation of libraries and library services for today’s dynamic and increasingly global digital information environment. Virtually every media interview I’ve had during the past seven months has been an occasion to illustrate how libraries, the people who work in them, … Continue reading Transforming Libraries
At a time when resources are shrinking, funding is scarce, and businesses are folding, finding partners to help realize goals is not just an interesting concept but a necessity. To provide support services to formerly homeless individuals and families, many with special needs, the Miami-Dade Public Library System joined forces with the county’s Homeless Trust … Continue reading Miami-Dade Partnerships Take Root
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
