Advocacy Archives | Page 15 of 45 | American Libraries Magazine

A New Way of Looking at Public Library Engagement in America

By Kathryn Zickuhr and Lee Rainie | June 10, 2014

The Pew Research Center’s Internet Project has intensively studied the changing world of public libraries for the last three years. The first stage of our research explored the growing role of ebooks, including their impact on Americans’ reading habits and library habits. Our second stage examined the full universe of library services, as well as … Continue reading A New Way of Looking at Public Library Engagement in America →

A Day in the Life of NYC’s Branches

By Phil Morehart | June 6, 2014

Filmmakers Julie Dressner and Jesse Hicks produced a short film that looks at how library branches in New York City have evolved into community centers that offer an array of services and programs despite budget cuts. The film has gone viral, and it was even screened at a June 3 New York City Council meeting … Continue reading A Day in the Life of NYC’s Branches →

Connecticut to Build a Statewide Ebook Delivery Platform

By James LaRue | June 5, 2014

Back in January of this year, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection published a report about how the state’s public libraries could gain fairer access to ebooks. Among that report’s conclusions: “The most forward-thinking and sustainable option the legislature could pursue to increase ebook availability at public libraries is to make a significant statewide investment in … Continue reading Connecticut to Build a Statewide Ebook Delivery Platform →

Amazon versus Hachette: No Good Guys in This Fight

By James LaRue | June 4, 2014

Lately, there has been a lot of press about the conflict between Amazon and Hachette. Let’s examine the facts. Hachette is one of the Big Five publishers sued by the U.S. Justice Department for collusion in price fixing with Apple. Following the resulting settlement, Amazon began negotiating with Hachette for the lowest possible price for … Continue reading Amazon versus Hachette: No Good Guys in This Fight →

DCL Ebook Report for June 2014

By James LaRue | June 3, 2014

Read the Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries Ebook Report as a PDF file. After the death of Maya Angelou, the demand for her I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has risen. The ebook is available from 3M for $20.97. Regular people (i.e., consumers) can buy it from Amazon and Barnes and Noble for $4.01. Libraries are caged … Continue reading DCL Ebook Report for June 2014 →

A New Vision of Advocacy

By Keith Michael Fiels | June 2, 2014

In any conversation with ALA members, advocacy consistently emerges as a number one priority. This coming year, we’re taking a fresh look at advocacy, and our vision for advocacy going forward. Our new vision of advocacy needs to reflect both what I would describe as “upstream” and “downstream” advocacy. “Downstream” advocacy is what happens when … Continue reading A New Vision of Advocacy →

Learners for a Lifetime

By Barbara K. Stripling | June 2, 2014

A career in librarianship constantly challenges us to reimagine our roles and revitalize our knowledge to meet the evolving nature of the information environment and the changing needs of those we serve. Becoming a librarian is a commitment to being a lifetime learner. “Learning” is an action word. It means actively exploring new possibilities, beyond what is … Continue reading Learners for a Lifetime →

Don’t Let It Stay in Vegas

By Laurie D. Borman | June 2, 2014

Have you watched American Libraries Live, our free, streaming library program? If you want to sample it, we have an excerpt in our June issue from our mobile technology in the library program. Hosted by Heather Moorefield-Lang, education and applied social sciences librarian for Virginia Tech, the expert panel included Bohyun Kim, digital access librarian … Continue reading Don’t Let It Stay in Vegas →

Digital Preservation

By James LaRue | May 30, 2014

Libraries—both public and academic—are in the business of gathering, organizing, and presenting to the public the intellectual content of our culture. To some extent, we’re also responsible for the preservation of that content. Generally speaking, academic libraries take the lead on this longer-term collection management; public libraries focus more on the popular and perhaps ephemeral … Continue reading Digital Preservation →

Standing for Libraries at National Library Legislative Day

By Jazzy Wright | May 15, 2014

On May 5–6, more than 420 librarians, patrons, teens, and parents gathered in Washington, D.C., to discuss library issues with members of Congress during the American Library Association’s (ALA) National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). This marked the 40th anniversary of the event, organized by ALA’s Washington Office. ALA President Barbara Stripling, along with ALA division president Starr LaTronica (Association for Library … Continue reading Standing for Libraries at National Library Legislative Day →

None of Your Beeswax

By Joseph Janes | May 13, 2014

This winter, I had the chance to explore an entirely new teaching experience, at least new to me. Along with my good friend Mike Eisenberg, I co-taught a large undergraduate course to 160 sophomores and juniors, many of whom are intending to apply to our baccalaureate informatics program. It’s very different from my usual 20–30 … Continue reading None of Your Beeswax →

Responding to the Second Wave of the Digital Divide

By Corey Taylor | May 7, 2014

Progress has been made in closing the digital divide between computer-based tools and infrastructure, but an equally debilitating digital divide in internet literacy affects the American public, according to “Responding to the Second Wave of the Digital Divide,” a briefing of local government, public-policy, and library experts held May 6 at the National Press Club … Continue reading Responding to the Second Wave of the Digital Divide →

Latest Library Links

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Steph Campbell writes: “From a combination of hype from Stranger Things, captivating performances on Critical Role, acceptance of ‘nerd culture,’ and so many other reasons, TTRPGs have greatly increased in popularity over the past few years, and youth activities are reflecting this. Running games is often seen as the core for facilitating this interest, but you can connect your library’s book collection to this too. By displaying books that focus on themes from your library’s game sessions, you can help players find other stories that they relate to.”

ALA Games & Gaming Round Table, July 11
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Share innovative strategies and resources with your peers by submitting an education program proposal for the 2025 LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, taking place January 24–27, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. The submission site is open now through August 12. The programmatic theme of LibLearnX 2025 is Reimagine, Refocus, Reset: Charting a Path for the Future. The LibLearnX Program Submission Guide provides detailed explanations of the learning formats and step-by-step instructions for submitting a proposal. Consult the Program Proposal Rubric for evaluation criteria and scoring and view a video on using the submission site to create and submit your proposal.

ALA Conference Services, July 15
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Summer is in full swing. This means getting outside, soaking up some sunshine, and listening to our favorite tunes—from oldies-but-goodies to today’s hits. In Episode 97, Call Number covers music. This episode includes conversations with librarians who have organized programs for local patrons who love Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and K-Pop, as well as librarian and Grammy Award–winning French horn player Joy Worland. Attendees of ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego also share memories of the first concert they attended.

AL: The Scoop, July 15
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Sheila Craft-Morgan writes: “Citations are a key measure of the impact of a researcher’s work. However, research in a variety of disciplines has found that women are less likely to be cited than men; citations contain geographic bias; and the Matthew effect—in which those who begin with advantage continue to gain advantage—leads to more citations for prominent scholars in a specific discipline. These findings contribute to the notion that scholarly knowledge comes from a homogenous group of researchers, thereby overlooking the contributions of other groups.”

American Libraries column, June
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Mel Baldwin writes: “Regardless of why someone comes into a library, every patron should be free to interact with staff, browse materials, and use the internet without fear of harassment or worse. That freedom depends on libraries upholding patron privacy. With nearly 400 active anti-trans bills pending in state legislatures as of April 2024, it is a dangerous time in the US to be gender nonconforming, someone whose gender expression does not align with the traditional male or female binary. And for trans people of color, studies show the risk of discrimination and violence is higher.”

American Libraries column, June
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Greg Landgraf writes: “On a school morning last September, small groups of 5th-graders crowded around tools connected to scientific research—a microscope, a robotic camera, and even a snake named Morgan Freeman—clipboards and pencils in hand. They were at the Melrose branch of Roanoke (Va.) Public Libraries (RPL), judging graduate students from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on their research. The event was RPL’s second Flip the Fair, introduced in 2022 to help graduate students develop skills to effectively communicate their research while engaging local elementary students with STEM topics and the library.”

American Libraries Trend, June
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Aaryn Bierly writes: “Disability Pride Month is traditionally celebrated in July to celebrate the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The ADA regulates laws regarding service animals, requires employers to accommodate their employees’ physical and medical needs, stipulates the number and placement of accessible parking spaces and restrooms, and more. One in five Americans has some type of disability that makes working more difficult, and the ADA has made working conditions easier for a significant number of Americans. We’ve got several great lists of books for kids and teens of different ages featuring characters with a range of disabilities.”

Herrick District Library (Holland, Mich.), July 1

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