Inside ALA Archives | Page 45 of 52 | American Libraries Magazine

The Merger of the Century: EBSCO Acquires H. W. Wilson

By George Eberhart | June 3, 2011

In a surprise announcement June 2, two of the leading names in digital reference publishing told their library customers that they have merged to strengthen the value of their databases and print resources. EBSCO Publishing, a subsidiary of EBSCO Industries founded in 1944 and headquartered in Ipswich, Massachusetts, has acquired the staff and product lines … Continue reading The Merger of the Century: EBSCO Acquires H. W. Wilson →

Jane: Karen Says “Hi”

June 1, 2011

Collegiality extends across time and borders, as ALA Library Director Karen Muller was recently reminded when she saw a colleague’s photo in the media and realized that her former coworker was toughing out an unenviable ordeal. The person Muller recognized in the photo accompanying an April 5 USA Today; story was Jane Gillis, rare book … Continue reading Jane: Karen Says “Hi” →

ALA and Library Relief Funds

May 25, 2011

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 →

Unveiling the ALA 2015 Strategic Plan

May 25, 2011

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 →

Becky Jacobson wins American Libraries survey prize

May 19, 2011

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 →

Maureen Sullivan elected ALA President for 2012 – 2013 [UPDATED]

April 29, 2011

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] →

Too Much Information?

by Meredith Farkas | April 22, 2011

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? →

Revisiting “10 Reasons”

April 15, 2011

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” →

Kicking Our Doors Back Open

April 13, 2011

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 →

Conference on Privacy and Youth: Day 2

March 25, 2011

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 →

The First Digital Public Library of America Workshop

March 9, 2011

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 →

E-Book Blues

March 4, 2011

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 →

Latest Library Links

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The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has created the AASL Page to Practice Book Club, a new online professional learning community designed to help school librarians and K–12 educators turn professional reading into real-world impact. Hosted on LinkedIn, the club provides a flexible, asynchronous space for participants to engage with timely, high-quality professional titles from AASL’s collection. Through weekly facilitator-guided prompts, participants are invited to reflect, share insights, and engage in conversation with colleagues across the country—whether actively contributing or simply following along.

American Association of School Librarians, Apr. 15
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Eleanor Ball writes: “Because we (instructors, librarians, workplace professionals) have long since mastered skills like delegating tasks and coordinating multiple people, these skills become invisible to us. We call upon them without thinking, and we forget how hard it might have been to learn them. We forget we even had to learn them. But students don’t know what they don’t know, and we’ve forgotten what they don’t know. How can we overcome our unconscious competence to help students learn from square one?”

ACRLog, Apr. 17
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Lydia Tang writes: “The first National Library Week was launched on March 16–22, 1958. Citing a 1957 survey showing that only 17% of Americans polled were reading a book, the inaugural National Library Week slogan was ‘Wake Up and Read!’ The National Library Week initiative was the first nationwide effort to promote literacy for personal and national improvement, to celebrate the role of libraries in making reading materials accessible to everyone, and to highlight the varied career opportunities available within the library profession.”

ALA150, Apr. 20
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On April 20, the American Library Association (ALA) released its State of America’s Libraries 2026 report, an annual snapshot of library trends. The report is published during National Library Week, this year taking place April 19–25. As in recent years, the 2026 report documents censorship in libraries from the previous year. In 2025, ALA recorded 713 attempts to censor library materials and services, of which 487 attempts targeted books. The report includes a list of the 11 Most Targeted Titles in 2025, led by Sold by Patricia McCormick.

AL: The Scoop, Apr. 20
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Elyse H. Fox writes: “Librarians are used to being generalists, able to research all kinds of questions. But when someone seeks help filling out a form or understanding their rights, those same staffers may be wary of crossing the line from legal reference to unauthorized practice of law. Moreover, public library collections often have few legal resources for patrons. Within these limitations, though, library workers can develop their legal reference skills and provide appropriate referrals.”

American Libraries column, Apr. 20
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Kelly Greig writes: “The century-old library in Stanstead, Quebec, that straddles the Canada-US border now has a new door so Canadians can get in after the US limited entry to the building last year. For decades, people in Stanstead were allowed to walk around the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, but last year the US limited access, [forcing potential Canadian users] to drive down the street and go through a border crossing just to get in the front door.” The newly installed door cost nearly $600,000.

CTV News (Toronto), Apr. 9; American Libraries Online, Apr. 14, 2025
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Sydney Butler writes: “Believe me, I know the pain of troubleshooting 3D prints to the point where I just feel like throwing my printer in the garbage and buying a new one. Tracing print issues back to specific printer problems can be a nightmare, but there are a few likely issues you should check before turning your printer into scrap.”

How-To Geek, Apr. 11

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