State of America’s Libraries, 2014

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Nadine Kramarz writes: “I am beginning to believe that how we think about public library services as free directly impacts how public libraries don’t get funded. This idea that ‘public libraries are free’ sounds very enticing and makes a great soundbite, but it’s not true. Public libraries are paid for by their community in order to create services for said community. The reality is that tax dollars are spread thin and every government department has to struggle to get enough funds.”

Public Libraries Online, June 10
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Americans see a variety of factors as important when it comes to deciding whether a news story is trustworthy or not, but their attitudes vary by party affiliation, demographic characteristics and news consumption habits, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Overall, broad majorities of US adults say it is at least somewhat important to consider each of five surveyed factors when determining whether a news story is trustworthy or not: the news organization that publishes it (88%); the sources cited in it (86%); their gut instinct about it (77%); the person, if any, who shared it with them (68%); and the specific journalist who reported it (66%).

Pew Research Center, June 9
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Associate Professor and digital archivist Erin Baucom writes: “Digital preservation is a relatively young field. And as a result, it lacks established pathways and processes. What’s more, guidance for practitioners has been purposefully written from a high-level perspective to allow for flexibility by different types and sizes of institutions. But to translate lofty digital preservation theory into on-the-ground practice, we need workflow documents to break down the necessary steps required to complete a task.”

American Libraries column, June
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Terra Dankowski writes: “Nearly 150 years after it leveled 18,000 buildings and killed 300 people, the Great Chicago Fire (October 8–10, 1871) lives on—in the city’s tourist attractions, sports team names, and soon in a Chicago History Museum exhibit commemorating its anniversary this fall. ‘It’s just amazing how much the aftermath was documented,’ says Ellen Keith, director of the museum library. The library’s holdings include period maps and stereographs (an early form of three-dimensional photographs popular in the 19th century) depicting the burned areas of the city, transcripts of the 1871 fire department hearings, a 1997 mayoral resolution exonerating Mrs. O’Leary and her cow of blame for setting the blaze, and even sheet music for songs about the fire.”

American Libraries Bookend, June
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ALA members are invited to join Patricia “Patty” Wong at 1 p.m. Central on June 29 as she begins her term as the first Asian American to serve as president of ALA and shares her plans for leading the association through an exciting time of change. The virtual event is free and is part of the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 23–29.

ALA Governance Office, June 4
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Emily Temple writes: “It’s June, the summer reading lists are out in full force, and so are our newly vaccinated knees (and chins), which can only mean that it’s that time of year again. This year, I read 38 lists, which recommended a grand total of 522 individual books. I have included those books recommended at least three times below, in descending order of frequency. So if you want to Read the Book That Everyone is Reading (or at least recommending) this summer, here’s where you should start.”

LitHub, June 10
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Quanetta Batts and Ellen Knutson write: “Ethics and inclusion should be at the center of all your community engagement programs. Putting these ideas into practice can be challenging because of organizational inertia and a lack of appetite for risk. By carefully considering the potential impacts of your actions and plans, you will be on your way to providing truly ethical and inclusive engagement programs.”

American Libraries feature, June

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