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Return on investment measures how much value an organization, project, or service has generated for each monetary unit invested in it. This approach originates in the economics, and libraries have adopted (and adapted) this method to measure their own value and impact. ROI studies and reports from libraries across the globe have indicated impressive returns, detailed in a new report from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. -
With everything from New Yorker covers to New York Times–bestselling graphic novels under his belt, cartoonist and illustrator Adrian Tomine has had a more than successful career. But his newest autobiographical book, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist (Drawn & Quarterly, July), traces a lifetime of humiliations: disastrous book signings, rude reviews, a meal ruined by diners at an adjacent table viciously dissecting his latest work. We spoke with him about COVID, craving loneliness, and libraries. -
Aliya Chaudhry writes: “On the day the Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, Pennsylvania, was supposed to unveil a superhero-themed escape room, the library had to close its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. With no physical location to work with, librarian Sydney Krawiec started to devise an alternative: a digital escape room created in Google Forms.” -
Porter Anderson writes: “On the heels of its second-quarter report on the American book market, which we covered here on Monday, the NPD Group on July 21 has released new data showing that ebook unit sales in April rose by nearly a third over the previous month, a new indication of how consumers reached for digital retail under the constraints of COVID-19 mitigation efforts.” -
A survey of college-bound students in California has found that four in five have had to change their plans because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was initiated by the California Student Aid Commission and the California Education Lab at the University of California–Davis, funded by the College Futures Foundation. Impacts of the virus were immediate. The survey found that 71% had lost some or all of their income due to COVID-19, 46% had their living arrangements change, and 24% dropped courses during the spring college term. -
Mihir Patkar writes: “Children need to learn, play, and stay active for well-rounded growth. These free websites for activities, crafts, and arts for kids will ensure they stay occupied while growing their skills and knowledge.” -
Alex Harrington writes: “As a medical school library, we already have students beginning a new academic year. Between nurse, PA, and MD programs, residents, and the nonstop functioning of a hospital we support, we knew we would be among the early returners—the guinea pigs, if you will. Some upsides: The majority of our user base is already accustomed to wearing surgical masks for long periods of time, so I imagine we’re correcting mask protocol less often than we would have to elsewhere.” -
Liz Hartnett and Allison Kaplan, cochairs of the ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee, write: “Inclusiveness is a foundational idea of intellectual freedom, and it starts with knowledge about the challenges faced by people whose experience may be different from ours. Given that roughly only 12% of credentialed US librarians are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), it’s safe to say that most of us could learn a thing or two about the BIPOC experience in America. And considering the fact that as of 2018 less than half of children under 15 in the US are white, it seems clear the work of children’s librarians will benefit from better multicultural awareness.” -
US Copyright Office Senior Copyright Specialist Nicole Lamberson writes: “To be copyrightable, a work only needs to meet a few minimal standards: First, a human being must have created the work. Selfies taken by a very talented monkey or paintings by an artistic elephant aren’t eligible. Similarly, a work produced by a machine without any creative input or intervention from a human author doesn’t qualify.” -
ALA has joined National Voter Registration Day as a premier partner for 2020 and encourages libraries to sign up to participate in this important event, culminating in a nationwide day of action on September 22. To inform library workers about participating in NVRD, ALA will host a free webinar, “Ready to Vote: Hosting National Voter Registration Day at Your Library,” on July 23, at 2 p.m. Central. The one-hour webinar will feature a voter engagement expert from NVRD and librarians who will share their tips and experiences based on prior participation. Free registration is required. -
When New Jersey reference librarian Lynne Olver died in 2015, she left behind The Food Timeline, the internet’s largest repository of chronologized food history. The site begins with entries on ice, water, and salt in prehistory and ends with cronuts and test-tube burgers in 2013. Olver’s family is looking for someone to carry on her legacy. -
With most of its programming canceled due to COVID-19, Ashland (Ohio) Public Library teamed up with Ashland County Park District to add a StoryWalk display to Byers Woods, which debuted July 14. A series of 16 signs on wooden posts tell the story of “The Sand Castle That Lola Built” by Megan Maynor. The library also plans to install a shorter story when a new quarter-mile paved trail is completed at the Ashland Fire Company Nature Cabin.
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