November/December 2017

Features & Trends

Clockwise from top: Ben Almoite, Jennifer Hills, Gretchen Neidhardt, Margaret Miles, Ken Hirsh, and Sarah Trowbridge with Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.

The Badass Librarians of Jeopardy!

By Anne Ford

“We use a lot of librarians on the show,” says longtime Jeopardy! staffer Maggie Speak. “One of the coolest things about being a librarian, from what we hear from our contestants, is that on any given day they’re facing a whole new set of questions or problems, and that keeps them very sharp. Plus, for … Continue reading The Badass Librarians of Jeopardy! →

Making the Most of Midwinter 2018

By Donna Hunter

Looking forward ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries presents the second annual Symposium on the Future of Libraries, included with full registration for Midwinter. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (February 10–12), attendees can explore near-term trends inspiring innovation in academic, public, school, and special libraries and longer-term trends that will help professionals adapt to … Continue reading Making the Most of Midwinter 2018 →

50 years of the Office for Intellectual Freedom

50 Years of Intellectual Freedom

This December, OIF is celebrating 50 years of fighting for intellectual freedom: half a century of championing libraries, finding allies within the literary community, and aiding librarians in times of high anxiety. It’s an evolving role to be cherished and safeguarded. Lighting the flame At the 1965 Midwinter Meeting preconference in Washington, D.C., the Intellectual … Continue reading 50 Years of Intellectual Freedom →

Leading the Green Revolution
By Liz Granger
The Hats We Wear
By Candice Benjes-Small and Rebecca K. Miller
Saving Our Murals
By Phil Morehart
By the Numbers: Native American Heritage Month
By Hanako Maki
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma
By George M. Eberhart
Get Responsive
By Marcus Banks
Stop Sexual Harassment in Your Library
By Anne Ford
Newsmaker: Emil Ferris
By Amy Carlton
Bookend: Making a Splash
By Sanhita SinhaRoy
Finding Friends, Learning Leadership
By Anne Ford

Columnists

Latest Library Links

14h

“In today’s society, libraries stand out as among the last truly public institutions. Providing access to resources without financial, social, or physical barriers, public libraries make a unique contribution to promoting individual and collective flourishing throughout the communities they serve. The New York Public Library’s Strategy and Public Impact team and the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project at the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center in Philadelphia have released a new report as part of an ongoing collaboration to study and advocate for the role of public libraries in the communities they serve.”

New York Public Library, Nov.
18h

ALA’s Games & Gaming Round Table announced the winners of its 2024 Platinum Play Hall of Fame Awards on December 2, representing the best games for library collections or programming released in the last two to 10 years. The “Platys” Class of 2024 includes longstanding favorites such as Splendor and Azul, approachable program-friendly titles like Just One and Exploding Kittens, the tournament-friendly Super Smash Bros. Melee, geolocation game Pokémon Go, and ‘80s throwback RPG Kids on Bikes.

ALA Games and Gaming Round Table, Dec. 2
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Samantha Kretschmer writes: “A staff survey conducted by administration at my library two years ago pointed to a general feeling of discontent amongst staff. The administration formed a Staff Advisory committee, which I was tasked with chairing. The point of this committee was to promote understanding and cooperation between the various branches and departments of the library; to promote productive cooperation between staff, management, and administration; to provide a place for a constructive exchange of ideas; to serve as a channel for staff questions, comments, and concerns; and to help create a community amongst staff.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 28
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James Folta writes: “Authors Against Book Bans (AABB), a coalition of writers and creative workers who ‘stand united against the deeply unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read,’ released an open letter on social media November 25 demanding publishers prepare for the incoming Trump administration. The AABB conducted open forums with authors, and compiled their concerns and demands for the coming years. The letter outlines collective worries about the Trump administration and its threats, and how authors hope the corporations they work with will counter those coming dangers.”

Literary Hub, Nov. 26
2d

Rose Horowitch writes: “An alarming phenomenon has sprung up over the past few years: Many students are arriving at college unprepared to read entire books. The problem does not appear to be that ‘kids these days’ are incurious or uninterested in reading. Instead, young people might be responding to a cultural message: Books just aren’t that important. The professors I spoke with didn’t think their students were lazy. They saw that their students’ schedules are crowded with activities that are less about personal development and more relevant to future employment.”

The Atlantic, Nov. 29
2d

Mia Blixt-Shehan writes: “The ALA Core Metadata Standards Committee has developed a rubric to help information professionals evaluate metadata schemas in order to select one that would best fit the needs of a given project. The first official version of the Metadata Schema Assessment Framework is now available via the ALA Institutional Repository. The committee identified several criteria that can be used to evaluate metadata schemas, and the rubric also contains levels for assessing the extent that a given schema meets each criterion.”

Core News, Nov. 27
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Lorin M. Flores writes: “The ongoing need to rapidly acquire knowledge and skills related to new technologies and developments in the library field has been a preoccupation of library workers and administrators for years. Keeping current may seem impossible, given time and budget constraints. But microlearning in the form of short online courses, or microcourses, can be an efficient and effective strategy to fulfill professional development needs. Microlearning involves condensing instructional content into bite-sized chunks of information for maximum cognitive impact. Ideally, each course should range from five to 10 minutes to make the information graspable and maximize engagement.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

View more Latest Library Links

November/December 2017

Features & Trends

The Badass Librarians of Jeopardy!

Making the Most of Midwinter 2018

50 Years of Intellectual Freedom

Leading the Green Revolution

The Hats We Wear

Saving Our Murals

By the Numbers: Native American Heritage Month

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Get Responsive

Stop Sexual Harassment in Your Library

Newsmaker: Emil Ferris

Bookend: Making a Splash

Finding Friends, Learning Leadership

Columnists

Your Thoughts Needed

Undoing Harm

Rewriting the Standards

Open Source Software

Less Is Not More

Serving Diverse Populations

Gathering in the Clouds