Latest Library Links
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The Dance Music Archive has gone live, documenting 30 years of club and rave culture online. Visitors to the website can sort by decade and year to discover leading music news and specially curated Spotify playlists based on the biggest tracks of that time. Alternatively, search by artist, DJ, or radio show to be presented with historic recordings, many from original DAT tapes.
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Sonia Sarkar writes: “For 11-year-old Husna, books are her only source of happiness. Her school in Wat village is closed for summer holidays until September. But no one knows for sure when it will reopen, due to the clashes between Afghan nationalist forces and the Islamist group that have ensued since troops from the United States began withdrawing in May. Now, Husna’s only ray of hope is the mobile library run by the Pen Path Civil Society, a nongovernmental organization whose motorcycle-riding volunteers travel across areas ravaged by fighting to distribute books and stationery to children.”
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IFLA President Christine Mackenzie and Secretary General Gerald Leitner issued statement August 19 concerning the situation in Afghanistan: “Alongside the international community, IFLA has been watching the events of the past days unfold in Afghanistan closely. Our concern is first and foremost for the people of Afghanistan, particularly those groups that are most vulnerable, including women and girls. We join our voice to the global call for the human rights of all Afghan citizens to be respected and upheld. As the voice of the global library field, we put particular emphasis on the right to education and access to information, freedom of opinion and expression, and cultural rights for all.” Read the full statement.
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Aug. 19
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Two proposed policy changes made by a Craighead County (Ark.) Library Board member were narrowly defeated during the board’s August 9 meeting. Board member Mark Nichols proposed a new policy that would have the board responsible for approving library displays and guest speakers. The debate arose when state Rep. Dan Sullivan (R-Jonesboro) responded to the library Pride display after constituents notified him of the issue. Library Director David Eckert said the policy change would mean board members would be responsible for reading through and approving approximately 250 items. The proposal was defeated 3–2.
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Paul Murphy writes: “The scene at Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library’s main branch was haunting, Louis Lopez recalled. As he waited for a COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment, he saw people so sick they couldn’t even stand. Lopez said that he arrived at the library just before his noon appointment, and spent more than two hours with dozens of others waiting to get the treatment. One woman in line was so sick that she couldn’t even stand, Lopez said. Because she couldn’t stand, he said she crawled over to the wall.”
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Our online column Letters of the Law explores a wide range of legal issues that arise in libraries. In this edition, librarian-turned-lawyer Mary Minow explores the process through which libraries can immunize themselves from copyright lawsuits based on user postings.
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Alessandra Bautze writes: “When you walk into your local public library, you expect to receive help from a reference librarian, a circulation desk librarian, or perhaps a children’s librarian, depending on your needs. However, many libraries are starting to employ people in new, nonlibrarian roles to better meet the changing needs of the communities they serve. These nine cutting-edge jobs within libraries showcase the evolving role of this uniquely flexible public institution.”
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Cassandra Brindle writes: “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve developed something of a love/hate relationship with take-home kits. Intellectually I can appreciate them. But why do take home kits have to involve crafts? The point is creating a program a patron can take home and do on their own, but crafts are only a part of what programming librarians do. That’s what inspired my series ‘Prompted.’ This involved three sheets a month: a creative exercise, a list of writing prompts, and a list of art prompts.”
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Katherine Jardine writes: “Before the pandemic, Lisa Fagundes was working as an adult services librarian in the Information Services Department of San Francisco Public Library. On March 16, 2020, the library closed its doors to the public, and one month later Lisa was deployed as a COVID-19 contact tracer for the city. We caught up with Lisa to ask her about her experience over the past year.”
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The latest Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse, presented by Kaplan, found most students are unaware of just how much data their institutions have about them, but they also are not overly concerned about it. While four in 10 think it’s important for their college to have a data privacy policy, only about one in 10 is aware of such a policy and has read it. Experts list nine ways higher-ed institutions can help students think more critically about data use and protection.
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Natalia Contreras writes: “In recent months, Black librarians and library workers of color in Indiana have been speaking out about the racism and sexism they have experienced. Some have resigned from their jobs at public libraries and others have left the profession. Some librarians say this lack of diversity and the turnover of workers of color can also negatively affect library patrons who need or depend on the services libraries provide.”
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Farmingdale Public Library in South Farmingdale, New York, apologized after a parent noticed a “mature” comic book in a free giveaway bag to families on August 14 as part of Free Comic Book Day. The cover of “Tales of a Grown-Up Nothing” shows a teenage girl skateboarding, but the story features pictures of people in various sexual positions and one woman using a sex toy. “I’m glad that the parent brought it to our attention,” library director Debbie Podolski said. “It was a mistake. It slipped through.”
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