Dewey Decibel Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Dewey Decibel: Small and Rural Libraries

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Small and Rural Libraries

September 15, 2020

In Episode 54, Dewey Decibel speaks with Jefferson, as well as two librarians whose work was showcased on his tour. First, Dewey Decibel host and American Libraries Senior Editor Phil Morehart discusses small-library concerns with Corey Christians, director of Yavapai County (Ariz.) Free Library District. Next, Morehart talks with Stacey Russell, interim executive director of … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Small and Rural Libraries →

Dewey Decibel: Library Architecture and Design

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Library Architecture and Design

August 17, 2020

First, Dewey Decibel host and American Libraries Senior Editor Phil Morehart speaks with Wardell Ross Jr., director of Houston operations for architectural firm Moody Nolan, who was project manager for Texas Southern University’s new Library Learning Center. Morehart and Ross discuss the library’s features and how its design reflects and showcases the heritage of the … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Library Architecture and Design →

Dewey Decibel: Libraries and Sustainability

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Libraries and Sustainability

July 17, 2020

In Episode 52, Dewey Decibel talks with librarians who are implementing sustainable practices in both their libraries and their lives. First, American Libraries Associate Editor Sallyann Price speaks with Gabrielle Griffis, assistant youth services librarian at Brewster (Mass.) Ladies Library, about the Blue Marble Librarians, a group that helped promote Climate Prep Week across the state … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Libraries and Sustainability →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Telling Stories with Pictures

June 19, 2020

First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with James E. Ransome, author and illustrator of The Bell Rang, a 2020 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Honor Illustrator Book. Next Morehart talks with April Harrison, whose illustrations in What Is Given from the Heart by the late Patricia McKissack earned her … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Telling Stories with Pictures →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Privacy Concerns

May 15, 2020

First, Dewey Decibel host and American Libraries Senior Editor Phil Morehart speaks with Becky Yoose, a library data privacy consultant with LDH Consulting Services, about Zoombombing—what it is, who it targets, and how to stop it. Next, Morehart talks with Peter McCracken, electronic resources librarian at Cornell University, about a privacy-services program instituted by the … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Privacy Concerns →

Dewey Decibel: Freddie Gray and Baltimore: A Conversation with Wes Moore

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Freddie Gray and Baltimore, Five Years Later

April 24, 2020

In this special bonus episode of the Dewey Decibel podcast, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart talks with Moore about his book, socioeconomic conditions in Baltimore, and how Enoch Pratt Free Library was the bedrock of the city during the riots. If you have feedback for the Dewey Decibel team, email deweydecibel@ala.org. Tell us … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Freddie Gray and Baltimore, Five Years Later →

Dewey Decibel: Libraries Respond to COVID-19

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Libraries Respond to COVID-19

April 21, 2020

First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Felton Thomas Jr., executive director and CEO of Cleveland Public Library, about the library’s use of 3D printers to make personal protective equipment for emergency workers. Then Morehart talks with Evan Knight, preservation specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, about … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Libraries Respond to COVID-19 →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Exploring Gale’s Women’s Studies Archive

March 23, 2020

In this special bonus episode of the Dewey Decibel podcast, sponsored by Gale, a Cengage Company, American Libraries Associate Editor Sallyann Price speaks with a librarian doing just that. Kimberly M. Gay, head of reference and information services and academic reference and instruction librarian at Prairie View (Tex.) A&M University, shares how she uses the Women’s … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Exploring Gale’s Women’s Studies Archive →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Telling Women’s Stories

March 17, 2020

First, American Libraries Editor-at-Large Anne Ford speaks with author and activist Mikki Kendall about her book Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women a Movement Forgot (Viking, 2020). Next, American Libraries Senior Editor Amy Carlton talks with author and cultural critic Roxane Gay, who will serve as honorary chair of Preservation Week, April 26–May 2, about the importance … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Telling Women’s Stories →

Dewey Decibel Podcast:
One-on-One with Tracie D. Hall

February 24, 2020

If you have feedback for the Dewey Decibel team, email deweydecibel@ala.org. Tell us what you like, what you don’t like, or what you’d like to see us cover. Follow us on Twitter and leave us a review on iTunes.

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Presidential Libraries, Then and Now

February 14, 2020

First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Paul Sparrow, director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, about the beginnings of the presidential library system and how Roosevelt’s library has changed since it opened in 1941. Next, Morehart talks with Brooke Clement, deputy director of the Barack Obama Presidential Library, … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Presidential Libraries, Then and Now →

Dewey Decibel Insider's Guide to Philadelphia

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Insider’s Guide to Philadelphia

January 17, 2020

In Episode 46, Dewey Decibel explores what to see and where to eat during Midwinter. First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Linda August, reference librarian and curator of art and artifacts at the Library Company of Philadelphia, the oldest independent research library in the US cofounded by Benjamin Franklin in 1791, about Philadelphia’s must-see … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Insider’s Guide to Philadelphia →

Latest Library Links

2h

Many members know Bill Ladewski as executive director of the Reference and User Services Association, an ALA position he has held since 2019. In early September, Ladewski added another title to his CV: director of Member Relations and Services. In this role, he and his team are charged with providing service and information to the Association’s nearly 50,000 members. Ladewski answered our 11 Questions to reintroduce himself to the ALA community.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 19
22h

John Warner writes: “I understand what people mean when they invoke the term ‘institutional neutrality,’ but I don’t know how it’s workable in today’s world. Higher education institutions are built upon a foundation of actual values, values that are, by definition, not neutral. The Kalven report, the Rosetta Stone of institutional neutrality produced by a faculty committee at the University of Chicago in 1967, is not a call to make all work emanating from an institution ‘neutral,’ but is instead a call to make the atmosphere for scholarly inquiry and debate as free as possible.”

Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 15
1d

Angela Hursh writes: “Ever wondered how your library’s email performance compares to others? Benchmarks help you understand how well your emails perform in key areas and identify opportunities for improvement. They also allow you to compare your email marketing performance, set goals, and stay on top of trends. However, the lack of industry benchmarks for email marketing metrics specific to libraries has been bugging me. Metrics from similar industries don’t fully capture the unique aspects of promoting a library. To help libraries accurately measure their email effectiveness, we’ve created the first-ever library email benchmark report.”

NoveList, Oct. 22
2d

Rachel Hendrick writes: “Students and library vendors are pushing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in higher education, but there are very few resources that help librarians and scholars separate the wheat from the chaff. Luckily, we here at Choice love a good assessment rubric. (In fact, we made a PDF of our assessment rubric.) Even the least tech-savvy of us can use a very simple AI literacy framework to think critically about whether an AI application is worth your time.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Nov. 13
2d

Rowana Miller writes: “In my experience, many young library-goers identify as storytellers but not writers. These are the kids who draw Captain-Underpants-style cartoons, who craft meticulous Minecraft universes, and who plot elaborate Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, but who believe that ‘writing’ is limited to five-paragraph essays. But when children draw the connections between their natural storytelling proclivities and the written word, they can become self-motivated to develop the communication skills that will help them for the rest of their lives. Libraries, I believe, are uniquely positioned to help children make this connection.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 15
3d

ALA has reopened its search for an executive director in partnership with executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. A committee of ALA member leaders will oversee the search. The selected candidate will succeed Interim Executive Director Leslie Burger, who was appointed in November 2023. “We are excited to embark on our search for a new executive director,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl. “This leadership position is critical as we navigate the years ahead. We seek candidates who have knowledge of the library community and the urgent issues we face.”

ALA Communications, Marketing, and Media Relations Office, Nov. 14
3d

Emily Weak writes: “Something I always hear from hiring managers is that they want to build a resilient, diverse workforce. Sometimes we say we want a resilient workforce, but what we mean is that we want staffers who are willing to go above and beyond, or to do more with less. These concepts are deeply entrenched in librarianship, but I think we’re beginning to see how they can cause problems. Instead of trying to hire people who will do more with less and who will thrive amid adversity, let’s think about resilience as an organizational feature.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

View more Latest Library Links