Latest Library Links
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University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries has been digitizing the largest collection of historic Mexican cookbooks in the US. The pandemic has brought that project to a halt, but the library is now releasing recipes from the collection in free ebooks. Postres: Guardando Lo Mejor Para el Principio, or Desserts: Saving the Best for First, brings recipes in English and Spanish from generations of Mexican cooks to foodies at home looking to whip up some historic sweets.
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Thor Benson writes: “Back in February, the World Health Organization called the flood of misinformation about the coronavirus flowing through the Internet a “massive infodemic.” Since then, the situation has not improved. While social media platforms have promised to detect and label posts that contain misleading information related to COVID-19, they haven’t stopped the surge. But who is responsible for all those misleading posts?”
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A new Pew Research Center analysis of surveys conducted between October 2019 and June 2020 finds that those who rely most on social media for political news are less likely to follow major news stories, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election, and tend to be less knowledgeable about these topics. Demographically, US adults who rely most on social media for news tend to be younger, are less likely to be white, and have lower levels of education than those who mainly use several other platforms.
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Kerry Gold writes: “Public library buildings are safe shelters and economic drivers that quietly operate within every community. They live in the bricks-and-mortar space as well as the virtual, assisting patrons with such life basics as finding employment, starting their own businesses and teaching their kids to read. During the pandemic, libraries had to close their buildings to the general book-reading public, but facilities were used in different ways, for example, as food bank distribution centers and emergency computer labs for low-income groups. In recent weeks, they have slowly started to reopen, with a renewed understanding of the unique and essential role libraries play within the physical community.”
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The Library Leadership and Management Association has chosen eight winners for this year’s John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Awards. Each library receives a $10,000 grant provided by the H. W. Wilson Foundation. The 2020 winners will be honored at a reception held by EBSCO Information Services at the 2021 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.
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On August 3, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and ALA President Julius C. Jefferson Jr. paid a virtual visit to Pioneer Library System in Norman to discuss how Oklahoma libraries play an invaluable role in supporting career and workforce development. This town hall event “Partnering to Advance Career and Workforce Development” is one of the stops on Jefferson’s 12-stop virtual tour, Holding Space.
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Barbara Macikas, executive director of the Public Library Association, a division of ALA, has announced her retirement effective August 31. Since 2009, Macikas has led the division and inspired innovative programs and initiatives that have empowered public library staff and strengthened their contributions to their communities. Through her leadership and in partnership with the PLA Board of Directors, members, and staff, she has helped transform the association and the field.
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Czech writer Milan Kundera will donate his books, photos, and other documents to the Moravian Library in his hometown of Brno, Czech Republic, this fall. The library plans to allow access to the books for scholars and researchers as well as other people interested in Kundera’s works. Kundera has been living in exile in France since 1975.
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The Baltimore, Maryland, house where poet Lucille Clifton wrote seven books, won two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, and with her husband raised six children recently received preservation funding through the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Clifton’s daughter Sidney hopes to turn the house into a sanctuary for young artists and writers.
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This spring, as many families sheltered in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of digital media for information, education, and entertainment skyrocketed. Now, more than ever, the work of children’s librarians, serving as media mentors, is essential. In response to this need, the Association for Library Service to Children is offering free access to media mentoring tools and resources to support library professionals in all types of libraries. Resources include a variety of booklists with selections meant to assist children with understanding and healing from challenging situations like catastrophic illness, unexpected moves, and the loss of a loved one.
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Holly Korbey writes: “Across the nation, libraries are stepping up in a time of crisis. This summer, as communities continue to deal with COVID-19, both public libraries and school libraries are innovating new ways to provide services for communities that reach beyond physical books and buildings. One of libraries’ main goals has been to help children, many of whom have already missed out on a lot, stay engaged, reading and learning at a time when they can’t physically be in the building.”
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On July 28, the Internet Archive filed its response to the lawsuit brought by four commercial publishers to end the practice of Controlled Digital Lending, which it says is the digital equivalent of traditional library lending. “What is at stake with this lawsuit?” writes Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle. “Every digital learner’s access to library books.”
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