Archives

Stein, Mitch

November 1, 2018

ITTS Database Administrator Mitch Stein left ALA August 30.

SinhaRoy, Sanhita

November 1, 2018

Sanhita SinhaRoy was promoted to editor and publisher of American Libraries September 4.

Redd, Kimberly

November 1, 2018

Kimberly Redd has been promoted to program manager for certification and talent development for ALA–APA and HRDR.

Mechler, Anita

November 1, 2018

The Young Adult Library Services Association appointed Anita Mechler as executive director, effective August 13.

May, Patricia

November 1, 2018

Patricia L. May retired as director of administration for the Washington Office August 31 after nearly 30 years with ALA.

Hunter, Sarah

November 1, 2018

Sarah Hunter was promoted to Booklist books for youth editor September 10.

Hughes, Jessica

November 1, 2018

Jessica Hughes, executive director of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies and the Reference and User Services Association, left ALA September 12.

Gruenberg, Louise

November 1, 2018

Louise Gruenberg left ITTS August 16.

Good Job Hunting

November 1, 2018

Fortunately, the traits that bring librarians to the profession—diligence, curiosity, intelligence, and flexibility—are the same ones that can win them a position. And American Libraries is here to show you how. Just a few of the things we cover in this special package: How to network without feeling like a phony The LIS skills that … Continue reading Good Job Hunting →

Résumé Yea or Résumé Nay?

By Anne Ford | November 1, 2018

That’s why we’ve enlisted National Résumé Writers’ Association President Mary Jo King and San José (Calif.) State University School of Information Student and Alumni Career Consultant Jill A. Klees to give the thumbs-up or thumbs-down on several common résumé practices. Nay: Objectives Once, many résumés led with a section titled “Objectives,” listing what the applicant … Continue reading Résumé Yea or Résumé Nay? →

The Salary Question

November 1, 2018

What’s the first thing someone should think about when negotiating salary? Research. If there is one aspect of job negotiation that is tailor-made for someone with an LIS background, it’s this. Exhaust every available resource to come into any negotiation armed with evidence to support the worth of your expertise and services in a position. … Continue reading The Salary Question →

HR Confidential

By Anne Ford | November 1, 2018

Applying for a job “I know we’re all guilty of this in the HR profession: We sometimes create a very lengthy list of qualifications in our job postings. I have heard that that can be daunting to early-career people. I would suggest they go ahead and apply but try to amplify in their cover letter … Continue reading HR Confidential →

Latest Library Links

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Year-end “best of” lists are a common phenomenon, and many libraries have created lists of staff or patron picks of their favorite reads of the year. See staff picks from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Seattle Public Library, Kent (Mich.) District Library, Los Angeles Public Library, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Farmington (Conn.) Libraries, and King County (Wash.) Library System. Seattle Public Library and Kent (Mich.) District Library have also released lists of patron favorites

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Dec. 11; Seattle Public Library; Kent (Mich.) District Library, Nov. 20, Dec. 13; Los Angeles Public Library, Dec. 16; New York Public Library, Nov. 26; Chicago Public Library, Nov. 18; Farmington (Conn.) Libraries, Dec. 6; King County (Wash.) Library System; Seattle Times, Dec. 17
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The Library of Congress announced 25 additions to the National Film Registry December 17. The new selections date back nearly 130 years and include a diverse group of films, filmmakers, and Hollywood landmarks. The selections range from Annabelle Serpentine Dance, a silent film created to entice audiences at the dawn of cinema in 1895 to the 2010 film The Social Network. Films are selected for their cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance, and this year’s selections bring the number of films in the registry to 900.

Library of Congress, Dec. 17
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Douglas Soule writes: “To support some of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ most prominent and controversial K–12 education laws, Florida has agreed to spend millions of dollars on a service it says is a tool for transparency. But free expression advocates warn it could be a vehicle for censorship. In a contract signed this September, the Florida Department of Education agreed to pay up to $15.6 million over four years to Maryland-based education technology company Trinity Education Group. The company has been tapped to develop a ‘statewide, centralized, easily accessible’ system for people to review and even object to instructional materials and library books in Florida school districts.”

Tallahassee Democrat, Dec. 12
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Olivia Olander and Jeremy Gorner write: “Starting this year, public libraries in Illinois had a choice: Adopt principles against book banning or give up state grants. [About 40] school districts, many of them in deeply conservative areas of south and central Illinois, appear to have taken the latter option. Administrators at some of those districts acknowledged being concerned about giving up any measure of control on what books are allowed on their schools’ library shelves. Some 700 school districts statewide have regularly applied for state library grant funding in the last two years.”

Chicago Tribune, Dec. 8
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Despina Gerasimidou and Maela Rakočević Uvodić write: “Displaced persons are scattered all over the world looking for the safest place for them and their families to settle and when they move to a new country are faced with legal, cultural, educational, and economic challenges, while in need of information, guidance, and support. The new IFLA Guidelines for Libraries Supporting Displaced Persons showcase how libraries can champion their core mission for universal and equitable access to information, ideas, and works of imagination, aiming at social, educational, cultural, democratic, and economic well-being.”

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Dec. 16
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Rebecca Bryant writes: “In 2021, the University of Calgary Libraries in Alberta launched a multilingual reference chatbot by leveraging a commercial product that combines a large language model with retrieval-augmented generation technology. The chatbot is trained on the library’s own web content, including LibGuides and operating hours, and is accessed from the library’s website. Before launch, the implementation team estimated that the chatbot could answer 14%–24% of reference chat questions, but today the chatbot answers about 50% of all questions with a rating of at least 4/5.”

Hanging Together, Dec. 12
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Chase Ollis writes: “On December 16, ALA announced 10 recipients of the 2025 I Love My Librarian Award, nominated by library users for their expertise, dedication, and impact in their communities. Four academic librarians, three public librarians, and three school librarians were selected to receive the 2025 award. ALA received nearly 1,300 nominations from library users across the country. Nominations highlighted librarians’ outstanding service in expanding access to literacy and library services, outreach to their communities, and supporting the needs of the most vulnerable. Each honoree will receive a $5,000 cash prize and complimentary registration and a travel stipend to attend ALA’s LibLearnX conference in Phoenix.”

AL: The Scoop, Dec. 17

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