Latest Library Links
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Upper Hudson (N.Y.) Library System Executive Director Timothy G. Burke writes: “Public libraries like the one in Cohoes are the anchors of their communities, and yet many of them are literally crumbling before our eyes. This critical infrastructure issue has caught the attention of 149 bipartisan cosponsors of the federal Build America’s Libraries Act, which will give us the chance to reverse this disturbing trend. Congress has a September 15 deadline to allocate funding for the budget package, and it’s crucial that libraries be included.”
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ALA is launching a bimonthly series of live conversations between ALA President Patty Wong and library practitioners who are keeping their communities connected with high-speed broadband, technology, and digital skills training. The first Connectivity Corner will take place September 17, 2–2:45 p.m. Eastern through ALA’s Instagram account (@americanlibraryassociation). Wong will talk with Chris Martinez, division director of information technology at Harris County (Texas) Public Library, about his library’s efforts to connect households without internet access.
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Elizaveta Poliakova writes: “It has been 10 years since E. L. James decided to self-publish her first novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. The story was first developed as a fan-fiction project in 2009 based on the Twilight series, originally titled Master of the Universe. However, after being reprimanded for the mature content by the administrators of a fan fiction website, James decided to self-publish the book in 2011 with the help of an online publisher, The Writers’ Coffee Shop.”
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Kelly Jensen writes: “In Florida, a June law forbid the teaching of Critical Race Theory in classrooms, and throughout the rest of the country, parents, community members, and lawmakers have worked to eliminate materials from classrooms—both that which is curriculum and which is supplemental—that offers nonwhitewashed history, social and cultural insight, or literature. And in one central Pennsylvania school district, students have spoken up, demanding that materials by Black and brown authors be reinstated in the classroom.”
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Three organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading were awarded the 2021 Library of Congress Literacy Awards on International Literacy Day September 8. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library won the 2021 David M. Rubenstein Prize ($150,000), the Parents as Teachers National Center received the American Prize ($50,000), and the Luminos Fund took the International Prize ($50,000). The Literacy Awards, originated by David M. Rubenstein in 2013, honor organizations doing exemplary, innovative, and replicable work.
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Elena Cavender writes: “College can be scary and overwhelming, and it’s hard to know where to get a little help with academic tasks. Knowing which websites can help you with various aspects of college life, especially when it comes to assignments, can make all the difference. We’ve collected 10 websites that will help along the way.”
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Susanna Clarke, who published her debut novel Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell 17 years ago and then was struck with chronic illness, has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction for her second novel, Piranesi. Narrated by its eponymous hero as he explores the endless halls of a house that imprisons an ocean, Piranesi is “a truly original, unexpected flight of fancy which melds genres and challenges preconceptions about what books should be,” according to the chair of judges, Booker-winning novelist Bernardine Evaristo.
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The National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards, announced Nancy Pearl, the former librarian, as the recipient of its 2021 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. For nearly four decades, Pearl worked in the public library systems in Detroit, Tulsa, and lastly, Seattle, where she was the Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book. Pearl will be honored at the 72nd National Book Awards Ceremony on November 17.
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NPR’s On the Media examines the Dewey Decimal Classification System, a method that dates back to 1876 and is used by most libraries around the world. The second most popular system, the Library of Congress Classification System, was published in the early 1900s and based on the organization of Thomas Jefferson’s personal library. These systems help patrons find books on the shelves and facilitate resource-sharing between libraries. But they also encode bias into the structure of libraries.
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Annie Rauwerda writes: “Sci-Hub provides free access to millions of papers and books. Its disregard for copyright makes it the target of legal threats, but its mission of providing open access to publicly-funded studies has made it overwhelmingly popular among scientists and lay readers alike. And it’s growing again.”
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Thorin Klosowski writes: “Most of the data economy underpinning common products and services is invisible to shoppers. As your data gets passed around between countless third parties, there aren’t just more companies profiting from your data, but also more possibilities for your data to be leaked or breached in a way that causes real harm. Consumer data privacy laws can give individuals rights to control their data, but if poorly implemented such laws could also maintain the status quo.”
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Marshall Breeding writes: “On September 1, Francisco Partners, a private equity investment firm, announced it had acquired Follett School Solutions. Follett School Solutions’ products include the Destiny Library Manager used by many US K–12 school libraries, the Aspen Student Information System, and the Titlewave ecommerce platform, which it uses to distribute print and digital content for educational institutions. Francisco Partners states that it does not plan to fold Follett School Solutions into any of its other educational technology business and will operate it as an independent company. It may bring new business or technology assets to strengthen its acquisition, a common strategy among investment firms.”
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