As people continue to mourn the deaths of more than 500 people from this spring’s horrific tornados and assess the untold property damage in the South and Midwest, ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels emailed ALA’s governing Council today regarding the Association’s disaster-response protocols at home and abroad: “It is our policy and practice to … Continue reading ALA and Library Relief Funds
An Open Letter from ALA President Roberta Stevens and ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels: Dear Colleagues: Here is ALA’s new 2015 Strategic Plan (PDF file). The plan outlines the vision and goals that will guide us through what promises to be a period of unprecedented challenges and opportunities for libraries. It reflects the work … Continue reading Unveiling the ALA 2015 Strategic Plan
The recent American Libraries Readership Survey results are in and a winner has been chosen. Becky Jacobson, public relations liaison at the Antioch (Ill.) Public Library District, was randomly chosen by American Libraries’ editors to receive $500 worth of Random House books. The survey was conducted over a one-month period from April 18–May 15 and … Continue reading Becky Jacobson wins American Libraries survey prize
Election results just announced: Maureen Sullivan has been elected 2012–2013 president of the American Library Association. Sullivan is an organization development consultant, and is also a professor of practice in the Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions PhD program at the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science in Boston. Maureen Sullivan received … Continue reading Maureen Sullivan elected ALA President for 2012 – 2013 [UPDATED]
I have many friends who use the mobile location-based networking site Foursquare to broadcast exactly where they are at various points during their day using the GPS on their phone. In my Twitter feed, I see posts stating that one friend is at a conference, another is out to lunch, and another is at the … Continue reading Too Much Information?
In 2001, American Libraries published Mark Herring’s “10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library.” The article, a celebration of the importance of physical libraries in a digital age, was a hit. It hasn’t aged well. Yesterday BoingBoing published a photo of a poster made from that list, and the commentary is, … Continue reading Revisiting “10 Reasons”
Libraries have seen more than their share of fiscal cliffhangers recently, and the celebration of National Library Week, April 10–16, offers no respite. But through the power of social networks, a loyal customer base, and elected officials who eventually read the handwriting on the wall, some rays of light permeate the gloom. The most recent … Continue reading Kicking Our Doors Back Open
London-based blogger, science-fiction author, and digital-rights champion Cory Doctorow opened Day 2 of the Conference on Privacy and Youth via Skype. “There comes a day when kids have to use their good judgment,” he said, arguing that adults are unwittingly undermining that goal by berating young people to guard their personal information while subjecting them … Continue reading Conference on Privacy and Youth: Day 2
On March 1, I had the opportunity to join about 50 other invitees and steering committee members to discuss the scope and content of what has been named (at least for now) the “Digital Public Library of America” (DPLA). The planning effort is hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, … Continue reading The First Digital Public Library of America Workshop
Over the past eight days, the biblioblogosphere erupted as word spread that terms of service were about to shift for libraries’ e-book lending rights. It began with a February 24 email (PDF file) from OverDrive CEO Steve Potash alerting customers that “Publishers are expressing concern and debating their digital future where a single eBook license … Continue reading E-Book Blues
In anticipation of the U.S. Senate reconvening February 28, American Library Association President Roberta Stevens has issued this call to action through ALA’s Washington Office: “I am writing to you today to enlist your participation in an association-wide advocacy campaign to protect funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Improving Literacy … Continue reading Action Alert: Protect Library Funding, ALA President Urges Library Community
As Editor and Publisher Leonard Kniffel leaves the helm of American Libraries and then takes on new responsibilities upon his return from a sabbatical, I would like to acknowledge his many contributions to the evolving character of our member magazine and all that it has become. Under his leadership and with the support and contributions … Continue reading From the Publisher: American Libraries Transition
