Admit it: You snag free books and party at receptions. But who would come to PLA2012 if there weren’t also meaningful programs, new products, great speakers, and networking opportunities? At ALA’s Public Library Association (PLA) National Conference in Philadelphia March 13–17, more than 6,000 attendees packed meeting rooms and the exhibit hall for all of … Continue reading PLA 2012: Powerful Advice, Practical Solutions
Signage is one of the most important tools for wayfinding. If there is one truism about library signage, it is that most of it is not very good. Understanding the mistakes that lead to bad signage is the first step on the road to creating good ones. Libraries need to recognize that signage is a … Continue reading Directions to Library Wayfinding
To some librarians it must seem like a perfect storm: Budgets are being slashed, ebooks suddenly are outselling their print ancestors, electronic movies on demand are slowing over-the-counter DVD lending, and the general public can find answers to their basic reference-oriented questions online. In what history may well mark as an important milestone in how … Continue reading The Once and Future Library
Many librarians are already exploring new ways to engage, embed, and integrate libraries into the life of their communities. Academic librarians are eager to deepen their engagement on campus—embedding services in the teaching, learning, and research processes. School librarians strive to collaborate more closely with teachers and integrate their programs directly into the curriculum. Public … Continue reading The Conversation Continues @ your library
Have you heard of Khan Academy? Sal Khan started the organization in the belief that people could learn by watching short, targeted videos online. Subjects run the gamut: from algebra to art history to the principles of banking to taking the SAT. He began by remotely tutoring his cousin in 2004 and created videos to … Continue reading It’s Always Time for CE-TV
Displays are hit or miss. So often we throw together a bunch of books on a theme. In our flurry to pull just the right items and create beautiful signage to market the display, we get lost in the process and fail to ask ourselves important questions. Will patrons find this useful? Should it be … Continue reading Building Displays That Move “the Merchandise”
We librarians are experts at collecting. Our jobs, our departments, our very buildings have been designed to acquire content. There is, however, another side to content that many libraries haven’t yet fully explored, and that is content creation. Yes, we have books about how to create a graphic novel, how to learn a musical instrument, … Continue reading Create a Library “Tech Shop”
Each January, librarians, publishers, parents . . . and, well, anyone who has an interest in books and reading . . . awaits the announcement of the Youth Media Awards at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. While awards help us define the criteria for “good” books, the lists of winners and notables are just a few … Continue reading Great Lists of Great Reads
The HBCU Library Alliance, a consortium that promotes collaboration among information professionals and excellence in library leadership, was established in 2002 and continues to provide an array of training and development opportunities for member institutions, including photographic preservation, reports, assessments, and leadership workshops. So far, the project has documented nine success stories. Here are two … Continue reading Preserving Black Academic Library History
“Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.” —Carol Saline and Sharon J. Wohlmuth, coauthors of Sisters (Running Press, 2004) What if libraries, like sisters, could be there for one another? What if public libraries with more resources partnered with underfunded ones to help them reach their … Continue reading O Sister Library, Where Art Thou?
With a voice that echoed the melodious tone in sermons and speeches delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. Dr. Lewis V. Baldwin, an ordained minister, addressed the theme “Honoring a Legacy That Still Inspires” during the annual King Sunrise Celebration on Monday. Rev. Baldwin, who has written and edited several … Continue reading Honoring a Legacy That Still Inspires
Support and education for today’s youth is the key to liberation. That was the overall message delivered by Jamal Joseph, author of the newly released Panther Baby: A Life of Rebellion and Reinvention (Algonquin Books), who delivered the 13th annual Arthur Curley Lecture Saturday. The lecture series was created in honor of the late ALA … Continue reading Curley Lecturer Discusses His Life as a Black Panther
