Latest Library Links
-
Jon Bentley writes: “The age of big data is now firmly upon us, and we therefore face collective societal challenges on how our data is handled and used to target and track us. Data ethics is an emergent theme and one that poses complex questions for those of us who work in the identity and knowledge sector.” -
Facebook has blocked a team of New York University researchers studying political ads and COVID-19 misinformation from accessing its site, a move that critics say is meant to silence research that makes the company look bad. The researchers at the NYU Ad Observatory launched a tool last year to collect data about the political ads people see on Facebook. Facebook said on August 3 that it had disabled the researchers’ personal accounts, pages, apps, and access to its platform. -
Mariela Santos Muñiz writes: “Most libraries and library collections all over the world are named after men, so I wanted to highlight some of the libraries and library collections based in the US—mostly at universities—that are named after trailblazing women. They definitely deserve more attention. Among the women are several PhDs, a major donor to literary causes, and correspondences on important topics in history. Read on to find out more.” -
A copper-lined room that blocks electromagnetic signals—and therefore stops you from sending and receiving emails and messages—can be found in London’s newest library. Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library is home to the Faraday Room, a study space named after locally born scientist and inventor Michael Faraday. One of his inventions was the Faraday cage—of which this study room is a particularly swish (and innovative) example. -
Mary Retta writes: “Last summer, a group of librarians from across the country started meeting regularly to discuss the need to make libraries a safe, accessible space for people to read and access all kinds of information. They eventually formed the Abolitionist Library Association (AbLA), a group of library workers, students, and community members who aim to divest money from policing in libraries and redistribute resources to communities. Over the past year, the association has worked to remove police from libraries nationwide and allocate funds to community-led efforts.” -
Benj Edwards writes: “Thirty years ago—on August 6, 1991—Tim Berners-Lee posted about his World Wide Web project on the alt.hypertext newsgroup, inviting the public to take a look at the world’s first website. The invitation eventually launched a billion websites. Let’s look back at the web’s genesis.” -
Julia Davis writes: “We’ve all seen the statistics—library science is a field desperately lacking in diversity. As of 2020, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that librarianship is 83.1% white and 83.2% female. While there are countless initiatives on a national and state level to help draw new, diverse professionals into the field, one of the best places to start is by examining your own hiring practices and how they may be contributing to this ongoing static. Not sure where to start? Here are three great ways to begin the journey.”ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services Intersections blog, Aug. 5
-
Steve Tetreault writes: “Calling a rose by another name would not make that rose smell less sweet. But when it comes to talking to students, it’s important to recognize that a lot of common English terminology highlights males, heteronormativity, and gender binaries. Putting aside ‘guys,’ ‘boys and girls,’ and ‘ladies and gentlemen’ can be difficult. These phrases have become ingrained in a lot of minds—including mine. When I get stuck and need some outside opinions, I turn to Twitter! #LibraryTwitter rarely disappoints—there are always some thoughtful folks ready to provide some ideas.” -
Do you want to travel, but circumstances prevent you from doing so? Thankfully, the internet enables you to visit multiple destinations around the world in real time—no plane tickets, visas, or long flights necessary. If you have a laptop, a smartphone, or a VR device and a reliable Wi-Fi connection, you are all set to take these virtual tours for free. -
Molly Templeton writes: “Last year, I bought more books than I’ve bought for a long time. Getting mail was one of 2020’s greatest small joys—getting book mail, doubly so. For years, I’ve worked in jobs that kept me in a steady stream of free or cheap books: publishing, arts editor at an alt-weekly, bookseller. This rich access to books is something I try very hard not to take for granted. But sometimes I look at the TBR mountain and think, Do I want to climb you? Or was this a foolish dream in the first place?” -
Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, sent a letter to members August 5, stating in part, “I wanted to share an update following my July 14 email about the incidents surrounding Blackout and Irreversible Damage and what we’ve been doing the past few weeks in response. We began with an investigation of the incidents and an audit of all ABA procedures and programs, and we listened to more than 100 members—those both directly and indirectly impacted—to help inform our plan as we move forward.” -
The new Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award at the Newberry Library will be presented annually to “published works that transform public understanding of Chicago, its history, and its people.” Along with a cash award of $25,000, the winning author(s) will give a lecture or conversation followed by a private reception at the program’s award presentation, held at the Newberry. The first presentation is to be made in July 2022. The nomination deadline is January 31.
All links outside americanlibrariesmagazine.org are provided for informational purposes only. Questions about the content of any external site should be addressed to the administrator of that site.