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Illinois Libraries Talk Sustainability

October 25, 2010

Sixty librarians from around Illinois met at Chicago’s Field Museum October 22 to discuss how they could better help their communities go green. The workshop kicked off the Illinois Library Association’s year-long Go Green @ your Illinois Library program, which aims to develop a group of librarians committed to environmental awareness. “It’s about libraries holding … Continue reading Illinois Libraries Talk Sustainability


The MLS Project

October 25, 2010

Although it seems that the question of whether librarianship is a profession might have been settled when Melvil Dewey declared it to be one back in 1876 (the same year the American Library Association was formed), the debate goes on. In The MLS Project: An Assessment after Sixty Years, Boyd Keith Swigger enters the conversation, … Continue reading The MLS Project


The Unknown Cataloger

October 22, 2010

Hardly a month goes by without a story in the newspapers or elsewhere in the media about a scholar who has “discovered” a lost or hitherto unknown manuscript of a text or musical work by a famous author or composer. Typically, following a headline such as “Twain’s Lost Story Discovered by Professor” or “Scholar Asks: … Continue reading The Unknown Cataloger


Read the Fine Print

October 21, 2010

There probably isn’t a person alive who’s read the Terms of Service (TOS) of every technology or service they use. Those TOS statements are usually quite long and full of boilerplate legalese that any company must include. When you’re quickly trying to load and use new software, reading a TOS statement is not a priority, … Continue reading Read the Fine Print


Some Good News Out There Too

October 20, 2010

One of the best aspects of being ALA president is the opportunity to be a part of state chapter conferences.  I’d like to focus on my experience at the Kentucky Library Association/Kentucky School Media Association joint conference in Louisville, September 15-18. The hospitality of colleagues in Kentucky was outstanding, thanks to Emmalee Hoover, Leoma Dunn, and … Continue reading Some Good News Out There Too


Gaming 2.0

October 19, 2010

The most exciting things have happened at the Houston Public Library’s Central Library since it reopened in May of 2008 after a two-year renovation: families are playing together and enjoying each other’s company; brothers, sisters, strangers, and friends are playing and learning together. Teen boys who now think the library is the best place to … Continue reading Gaming 2.0


The Stanford Innovation Juggernaut

October 14, 2010

The libraries at Stanford University have been a juggernaut of innovation over the last 20 years. They have reenvisioned scholarly communications with the launch of HighWire Press, initiated digital preservation and archiving tools LOCKSS and CLOCKSS, become a founding member of the open-source course management software Sakai, and developed numerous enhancements to Blacklight, the open-source … Continue reading The Stanford Innovation Juggernaut


Crowd Discusses the Cloud at LITA Forum

October 13, 2010

The 13th annual LITA National Forum brought library and information technology professionals together in Atlanta September 30–October 3 to discuss projects and developments surrounding the conference theme, “The Crowd and the Cloud.” Expert speakers shared knowledge of, and experiences with, the leading trends and innovations in library technologies, including mobile, social, and web services. Keynoting … Continue reading Crowd Discusses the Cloud at LITA Forum


Boardwalk Empire’s Librarian

October 11, 2010

When Boardwalk Empire, the new series about Prohibition-era Atlantic City, debuted September 19, it had plenty of factors in its favor: an acclaimed director (Martin Scorsese), writer (Terence Winter), and network (HBO). But it also had a powerhouse researcher in its corner: Atlantic City Free Public Library’s Heather Halpin Perez. “I was one of the … Continue reading Boardwalk Empire’s Librarian