Can it really be 10 years since I began writing this column? It doesn’t seem possible, yet there I am, horrible picture and all, chirpily nattering away on page 74 of the September 2002 American Libraries. A lot of water has gone under many bridges since then, which puts me in a nostalgic frame of … Continue reading The March of Time
It’s a question every used car buyer has to answer: “Is it the years or the miles?” Am I better off buying that vintage Pontiac LeMans with the really cool styling or that stodgy-looking two-year-old Honda? Looks can be deceiving. The vintage Pontiac was driven by a little old lady from Pasadena who used it … Continue reading Your Mileage May Vary
Our mission with Outside/In has been to take useful ideas from the larger world of trends (outside) to see how they apply to libraries (in). In that vein, we’re bringing you a roundup from our spring Libraryland conference tour, during which we made several stops and met hundreds of amazing folks and organizations along the … Continue reading Spring Libraryland Tour
What is your favorite library space? Perhaps a school library reading nook, or the august reading room from your university days, or maybe the balcony stacks in your hometown? The architectural design—and of course, a facility’s resources—draws you to these places and encourages you to stay awhile. That’s why American Libraries features new and now library … Continue reading Of Design, Danes, and Daffodils
As the transformation of libraries continues, it follows that the physical structure would have to transform as well to support changes in services, missions, and audiences. The 2012 Library Design Showcase highlights the best in new and newly renovated library buildings, divided into sections that each focus on one architectural aspect. Sections will be posted … Continue reading Library Design Showcase 2012
Update (Feb. 2, 2012): ProQuest is offering a free trial period to its full Vogue Archive (1892–2012) from February 2 through February 16. Sign up here. Ann Arbor–based electronic publisher ProQuest held a special event in Dallas January 22 to introduce its customers to a new digital product launched in December—an archival set of Vogue … Continue reading Voguing in Dallas
Two pieces of information regarding American Libraries’ annual Library Design Showcase. First, a friendly reminder: Submissions are due next Friday, January 13. This is an earlier deadline than usual, to accommodate the earlier publishing schedule for the March/April issue and its distribution at the Public Library Association Conference in Philadelphia March 13–17. Download submission forms … Continue reading Library Design Showcase Deadline January 13
The physical library was once a place of refuge, an escape from distraction. But today, the constant need to connect and communicate has largely rendered this role obsolete. The power of coupling networking tools with instant access to vast amounts of information is now an essential feature of library programs, services, and facilities. A library … Continue reading An Unplugged Space
American Libraries is now accepting submissions for the 2012 Library Design Showcase, our annual feature celebrating the best new and newly renovated or expanded libraries of all types. Like last year, the showcase will be primarily published online, with excerpts published in the March/April 2012 issue and in American Libraries’ April Digital Supplement. To have … Continue reading 2012 Library Design Showcase Call for Submissions
Returning to New Orleans for the 2011 American Library Association Annual Conference this year was both rewarding and emotional for many of us. Five years earlier, we traveled to Louisiana less than a year after the devastating hurricanes and massive flooding from failure of the levies. At that time, we were welcomed with much more … Continue reading The Big Easy Revisited
Forty years ago, Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, documents that revealed the secret history of the United States’ involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. Since then, Ellsberg has been a lecturer, writer, and activist on controversial U.S. interventions and the need for patriotic whistleblowing. Ellsberg was a prominent guest at Annual in New … Continue reading Daniel Ellsberg
In the summer of 1973, I attended my first conference of the International Federation of Library Associations (held in Grenoble, France) after becoming executive director of the American Library Association. The conference buzz was speculation about me (“Who is this Bob Wedgeworth?”), since I had just succeeded David Clift. Leo M. Weins, president of the … Continue reading A Tribute to H. W. Wilson
