“Maker” seems to be one of librarians’ favorite buzz words right now and, frankly, as I’m not working in public libraries and I haven’t been working with students for the past year, I guess I just haven’t been getting it. That said, I’m curious, because making stuff is cool, I just haven't really understood where/why … Continue reading Make Me a Maker
Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, knows how to win over a roomful of librarians, as he proved at the RUSA President’s Program, where he was the keynote speaker. He’s generous with both his flattery (“Every day spent with librarians is a good day”) and his cat photos (the feline census of … Continue reading The Myth and the Reality of the Evolving Patron
There are so many wonderful things that come along with attending Annual. Amazing and innovative sessions; the exhibit hall . . . the accompanying blisters, and of course the people. Librarians from all corners of the profession come together to talk, share, laugh, and sometimes get a little silly. (I’m looking at you, J. P. … Continue reading The Thing about Money . . .
Update: On Tuesday of Annual Conference, Council III substituted the resolution on Snowden mentioned below for another resolution on the need for reforms for the intelligence community to support privacy, open government, government transparency, and accountability. See the Council III report. A special video presentation by President Barack Obama encouraging librarians to help disseminate information … Continue reading Council I Supports Whistleblower Edward Snowden
ALA has opened a new front in the campaign to make all ebook titles available to libraries, regardless of publisher or copyright date. Welcome to Authors for Library Ebooks—a public relations drive propelled by bestselling authors who treasure their relationship with library patrons. Founding authors (Cory Doctorow, Ursula LeGuin, and Jodie Picoult) appreciate that libraries are where … Continue reading Authors 4 Library Ebooks Launches
The only certainty in the library community is that we live in uncertain times. Buffeted by technological turbulence, the very roles and functions of libraries are up for reexamination and reinvention, as evidenced by the articles in American Libraries’ June 2013 E-Content Digital Supplement. But the truly fundamental change is a shift in foundational relationships—as … Continue reading Librarians Working Together
Children’s departments began to appear in public libraries around 1900. Today, it‘s hard to imagine a public library without one. In many libraries, children’s materials account for more than a third of circulation. Now we have dedicated children’s librarians, children’s acquisitions people, and children’s programming experts. We have a host of early literacy specialists using … Continue reading Wanna Write a Good One? Library as Publisher
As librarians, our skills are as embedded in our personal lives as in our work, and they do not desert us when we leave our positions. After retiring in 2009, I began volunteering at Hedgebrook, a writing residency program for women on Whidbey Island in northwest Washington State. Inspired by its founder, Nancy Skinner Nordhoff, … Continue reading Retired, but Embedded
Not all publishers are created equal. It seems publishers are becoming the bad guys because many of the biggest companies have placed various restrictions on our use of their content. However, lumping all trade, reference, and scholarly publishers together is not fair to those who have been willing to work with librarians. Nor is it … Continue reading Working Directly with Publishers: Lessons Learned
Just over a year ago, the ALA Executive Board directed the Digital Content and Libraries Working Group (DCWG) to pursue more aggressive strategies to get ebooks into the hands of library patrons at a reasonable cost and under reasonable terms to libraries. This was to take the form of developing stronger messaging with the media, … Continue reading ALA, Future of Libraries, Digital Content, and Ebooks
We have made progress. I know this because I now experience the condition of ebook derangement syndrome. In early 2012, the urgent questions revolved around why the Big Six wouldn’t do business with libraries or, for those publishers who did, why the terms were so unfavorable. We really focused on these issues last year and … Continue reading I’m Crazy for Ebooks
As previously reported, ALA President Maureen Sullivan participated on the panel “E-books from Libraries: Good for Authors?” at the 2013 Book Expo America in New York. The May 30 session, organized by the Association of Authors’ Representatives, was a win for libraries (thanks Maureen!), with a few notable things said. Turnout was strong, with perhaps … Continue reading ALA at BEA: Another Good Dialogue
