Latest Library Links
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Finding contact information for a federal department or agency is a top task at USA.gov and USAGov en Español. Its A-Z Index of US Government Departments and Agencies directory is a popular feature and the result of many years of user testing and website user metrics. Over time, they noticed a pain point when people search to find a government agency on the site. The solution was a second search box on the agencies directory pages that would search agency content only, which testing has shown that users found easy to use.
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ALA has hired Kevin D. Strowder to lead the Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. His first day will be Monday, June 21. An experienced nonprofit professional with more than a decade of leading and designing programs to promote diversity metrics and uphold inclusive practices, Strowder will take leadership of an office with three focus areas—diversity, literacy, and outreach services to underserved populations—that manages prominent programs, initiative, awards, and relationships that support equity and inclusion through a lens of social justice.
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Jennifer Schuessler writes: “Sotheby’s has agreed to delay the much-publicized auction of a ‘lost’ library containing rare manuscripts by Robert Burns, Walter Scott, and the Brontës, as a consortium of British libraries and museums has begun an effort to raise $21 million to preserve it for the nation. That private library, the Honresfield Library, was assembled in the 19th century and had gone virtually unseen since the 1930s.”
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Anna Gooding-Call writes: “Finding funds for your library can be a challenge, but these titles offer a variety of ways—from budgeting and fundraising to grants and philanthropy from individual donors—to make the process easier.”
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Sarah Bahari writes: “Even before the pandemic, Jyoti Ahmed worried people were losing a sense of connection to each other. With people forced into further isolation, Ahmed, the community outreach coordinator for the Grand Prairie (Tex.) Public Library, wondered how she could help people feel less alone. So Ahmed, who is also an artist, started sketching drawings and writing small notes of encouragement for library patrons.”
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The Lake County (Fla.) Animal Shelter is teaming up with Lake County Library System. Through a program called “Tails and Tales,” the shelter’s mobile adoption truck is stopping at each of Lake County’s 16 public libraries, which are hosting special pet-themed storytimes throughout June and July. Dog and cat adoption fees will be waived for those who adopt while visiting the trailer at the libraries, and all adoptions include sterilization, initial vaccinations, microchip, and personalized ID tag.
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Elizabeth Bellizzi writes: “Last year, Danielle Anguish, children’s services manager at Henderson County (Ky.) Public Library, was tasked with coordinating a summer literacy activity for kids from seven elementary schools and four public housing developments. A daunting assignment in normal times, the program also had to adhere to the county’s COVID-19 lockdown protocols. Her solution? StoryWalks.”
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In 1979, just a couple of months into his stint with 20/20, ABC’s fledgling television news magazine, producer and documentarian Joseph Lovett was “beyond thrilled” to be assigned an interview with author James Baldwin, whose work he had discovered as a teen. The finished piece is a 60 Minutes-style profile that covers a lot of ground, yet 20/20 chose not to air it.
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Diana Duff writes: “It came to my attention through an email that Kailua-Kona (Hawaii) Public Library is overloaded with books. During the last year books that are out of circulation have piled up in the library’s storage facilities. The volunteers who are culling through the books end up sending many to the dump. This is disturbing to book lovers like me. Time to get creative. Piles of books do not deteriorate in the dump but they do break down when placed singly and open on top of the soil. Gardeners to the rescue.”
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Last year, as our nation was confronting ongoing issues related to racial justice, Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero established a task force of National Archives and Records Administration employees to identify issues of racial inequality in both our customer-facing operations and internally within our workplaces, in pursuit of an equitable and inclusive environment for all employees and customers. The full report, which includes the methodologies used in the task force’s assessment and more detailed recommendations, is now available to the public.
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Mary Davis Fournier began her first official day as executive director of ALA’s Public Library Association on June 14, but she’s no stranger to the Association. During her 20 years at ALA, Fournier has worn many hats, most recently that of deputy director of the Public Programs Office where she helped spearhead projects such as Libraries Transforming Communities and the National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment. Fournier answered our “11 Questions” to introduce herself to ALA members.
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Danielle Cooper and Roger C. Schonfeld write: “During the pandemic, streaming media and in particular video has exploded. And it’s not just Netflix and Disney+—there is also growing demand for video services offered through libraries. The significance of this market for licensed streaming media services was cemented last week when OverDrive acquired Kanopy. At a minimum, OverDrive’s acquisition creates a public library powerhouse with continuing growth aspirations. Both services, however, have struggled in the academic sector. Will the combination now provide the scale needed to create a more sustainable offering for this market?”
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