#alaac14 Archives | American Libraries Magazine

People with American Libraries

July 9, 2015

2 Minutes Behind the Scenes at ALA

December 8, 2014

As we gear up for the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Chicago next month, check out this two-minute time-lapse video that documents the work that went into setting up—and breaking down—the 2014 ALA Annual Conference this past summer in Las Vegas.

Supporting Print, Digital, and Mobile

By Marshall Breeding | August 5, 2014

The exhibit hall at the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas provided both a respite from the weather and a chance to learn about the latest developments in library technology. As the world’s largest exhibition of library products, the ALA Annual Conference continues to be a unique opportunity to assess current technologies from an almost … Continue reading Supporting Print, Digital, and Mobile →

Championing Introverts

By Mariam Pera | July 2, 2014

Appearing as an Auditorium Speaker on the ALCTS President’s Program on June 30, bestselling author Jennifer Kahnweiler said she has been an avid library patron ever since she was a child. In fact, her father led the renovation of the library in their hometown. “The library was like the other sibling in my life!” she … Continue reading Championing Introverts →

Newsmaker: Jeff Bridges

By Phil Morehart | June 6, 2014

You’ve been working on adapting The Giver into a movie for almost two decades. Why do you think this book has such potential as a film? Well, I was looking for a project to do with my father, Lloyd Bridges, and I wanted to make a children’s movie. So I started to look through some … Continue reading Newsmaker: Jeff Bridges →

ALA Las Vegas Annual Conference & Exhibition

By Mariam Pera | May 29, 2014

It’s been more than 40 years since ALA held its annual conference in Vegas, and many things have changed since then. But the 2014 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 26–July 1, still brings together the professional development you’ve come to expect with exciting new ideas to help propel librarianship into the future. The program … Continue reading ALA Las Vegas Annual Conference & Exhibition →

Culinary%20Dropout_Photo%20Credit%20Erik%20Kabik.jpg

A Taste of Las Vegas

Laura Daily | May 29, 2014

Buffets, 99-cent shrimp cocktails, and cigarette smoke-choked “gourmet rooms” once defined the Vegas culinary scene. The goal: Feed gamblers quickly so they can get back to the slot machines and roulette wheels. Not anymore. The city of neon has lured some of the world’s best chefs and restaurateurs, all eager to build their brand (and … Continue reading A Taste of Las Vegas →

Newsmaker: Stan Lee

By Mariam Pera | May 19, 2014

You’re known for making movie cameos. What is your favorite one to date? Stan Lee: I did one in the new Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie. I think it’s a very funny one. We’re pretty partial to the librarian you play in The Amazing Spider-Man. Do you have a spidey sense? No, I wish I … Continue reading Newsmaker: Stan Lee →

2014 ALA Annual Must-Dos

By Mariam Pera | May 12, 2014

Catch the speakers Start conference on a high note at the Opening General Session (June 27) with alternate-reality game designer Jane McGonigal and learn how games that tackle real-world problems like hunger and poverty can be used in library programming. Hear from bestselling authors and thought leaders, as well as experts from adult and youth … Continue reading 2014 ALA Annual Must-Dos →

Latest Library Links

3h

“As early as 2003, certain university libraries in the US developed virtual libraries in the online video game Second Life and offered a variety of services, marking the first practical research on metaverse libraries. The metaverse is regaining popularity nearly two decades later, and technological circumstances have improved. Today’s metaverse is a collection of new technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), gaming, networking, etc. VR and AR are two of the most important metaverse enabling technologies, and their use in university libraries is growing.”

College & Research Libraries, Nov.
6h

Christina Caron writes: “On social media, Mychal Threets was spreading the gospel of ‘library joy’ to hundreds of thousands of followers. But at his job, as a supervisor at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Solano County, Calif., he was facing new challenges. Over a year, Threets filed more than 170 incident reports documenting how library patrons had acted out: property damage, harassment, physical altercations. Like Threets, librarians around the country are struggling to reconcile their desire to serve their communities with their need for self-preservation.”

New York Times, Oct. 31
24h

Megan Bennett writes: “From the iconic to the incendiary, political messages like these have emblazoned buttons and pins since the start of US elections. Since 2012, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been archiving political buttons. The collection now spans thousands of items over a century’s worth of campaigns and causes. The collection has approximately 4,800 buttons and pins and 200 stickers. Most fit into one of three categories: campaigns (local and national), sociopolitical movements, and community organizations like unions.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
1d

Cindy Hohl writes: “Recognizing all of humanity in libraries requires a thoughtful approach and a humble spirit. I believe that we, as information professionals, have been called to this work because of our shared values. Every day, library workers provide a vital public function. We are entrusted to serve our communities, and we know that the best way to serve the public good is to welcome everyone into libraries to access accurate information.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
1d

Anne Ford writes: “For Susan Brown, December 17, 2004, was a perfectly normal day—until she saw the elevator doors open. Brown, director of Transylvania University’s J. Douglas Gay Jr./Frances Carrick Thomas Library in Lexington, Kentucky, was walking past the staff elevator on the library’s main level when the doors parted and she reflexively glanced inside. Her gaze locked on the great red books held by two young men inside. On the 20th anniversary of what became known as the Transy book heist, American Libraries looks back at one of the most brazen and puzzling thefts ever to take place in an academic library.

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.
4d

Chase Hunter writes: “Chabot College Library and Learning Center in Hayward, California, held a ceremonial opening last week, but students have already gone so often that it’s quickly become a campus cornerstone. More than 35,000 Chabot College students have visited the new library and learning center—the tallest building on campus—this semester, already surpassing last year’s total. The new building’s geometric clean lines and splashes of orange—the school’s color—over a chrome exterior is attracting students in a way that Chabot College hasn’t experienced since the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Mercury News (San Jose, California), Oct. 28
4d

Michelle Ehrhardt writes: “Like the Metaverse and NFTs before it, it feels near impossible to follow tech news right now without hearing about Artificial Intelligence (AI). I understand it can get annoying: The tech is still in development, and everyone’s still figuring out the ethics of generating AI Art, or how to make it not suck. It’s tempting to write AI off entirely. There are a few key use cases I’ve found where AI shines better than pretty much any other alternative. As an AI skeptic, here’s where I think AI is most useful.”

Lifehacker, Oct. 28

View more Latest Library Links