One day in the mid-1990s Doug Zweizig and I were having lunch on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, where we both taught. I was contemplating a history of the small-town American public library, I told him, but wanted a fresh perspective. Eighty percent of public library systems existed in towns of fewer than 25,000, I … Continue reading Main Street Public Library
With over 11 million articles and loans moving through the cooperative resource sharing processes of libraries each year, this updating of the Interlibrary Loan Practices Handbook is welcome. In preparing this third edition, editors Cherié L. Weible and Karen L. Janke have built on the pioneering work of Virginia Boucher, author of the first two … Continue reading New from ALA Editions
This month we’re examining the library literature for tips on how to manage our libraries better. Improvements may come from analyzing each step of a task and its impact on the bottom line, or from incorporating new standards and practices consistent with the diversity of materials now part of our collections. Pay Attention to Standards … Continue reading Manage Best with Best Practices
Reforma, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, celebrated 40 years of advocacy at its 4th National Conference in Denver, September 15–18. Fittingly, the conference, whose theme was: “Elevating Latino Library Services to a Higher Level,” coincided with the Diez y Seis de Septiembre (the anniversary of … Continue reading Reformistas Gather to Reflect, Recharge as Group Turns 40
A library-museum partnership has resulted in a 60% jump in summer-reading participation at the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library’s infoZone branch, which is located inside the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “All of our library locations were buzzing with activity, but the Children’s Museum exceeded our expectations,” IMCPL Director of Programming and Project Development Chris Cairo said … Continue reading Summer Reading Stats Skyrocket in Indianapolis infoZone
Each week I have at least one conversation about how schools and libraries are working to support teaching and learning in STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I’ve discovered that some librarians are struggling to figure out what their role should be in the STEM universe. I’m here to give you a few pointers. First, … Continue reading The Lowdown on STEM
The individuals and libraries shown here have been singled out by their peers for their extraordinary achievements. These are the highest and most prestigious awards given by the American Library Association, but they are only a handful of the 200-plus awards presented annually by ALA, its divisions, round tables, offices, and other units. Meet more … Continue reading Leading By Example: 2011 ALA Award Winners
“Remind me how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull?” “What music should I play for a piece about polar bears?” “David Hasselhoff—singing at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Can you find tape?” Welcome to a typical day at the National Public Radio library in Washington, D.C., where over 10,000 such requests come in each year from staff, … Continue reading Broadcast Collaboration
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Ezra Jack Keats’s groundbreaking picture book The Snowy Day (Penguin, 1962), The Jewish Museum has created the first major United States exhibition for the Caldecott-winning illustrator. “The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats” show features over 80 original works, from preliminary sketches to final paintings … Continue reading Recognizing the Impact of Ezra Jack Keats
Ten years ago, American Libraries wrote: In New York City, Washington, D.C., and across the nation, neighborhood public libraries are helping a population traumatized, saddened, and angered by the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to cope and return to the comforting routines of daily life. First Lady Laura … Continue reading September 11, 2001: Traumatized by Terrorism
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I wasn’t intending to write a “9/11” column, really. The 10th-anniversary rumblings have already begun as I write this, and I’ve started to ponder what I’ll do on the actual day (apart from pulling the covers over my head and muting the inevitable pregame and halftime goings-on during NFL opening-week games). Then, over coffee and … Continue reading What’s Gone Is Gone
Blockbuster was much in the news last fall, though not in the favorable light it once enjoyed. The cultural phenomenon and former stock market darling that once prospered through aggressive marketing, savvy exploitation of technology, and keen insights into customer preferences filed for bankruptcy in September 2010. Though some analysts thought the filing could give … Continue reading Avoiding the Path to Obsolescence
