The constitutionality of digital fair use was upheld this past October, when US District Court Judge Harold Baer summarily dismissed the Authors Guild’s year-old lawsuit against the HathiTrust library collaborative to block the use of its growing repository of millions of full-text book scans. Calling the project “the enduring work of libraries,” HathiTrust Executive Director … Continue reading Unlocking the Riches of HathiTrust
As content and patron interactions go online, there are a whole slew of new regulations to consider. There are the usual Section 508 compliance requirements to make resources accessible to people with disabilities, but other privacy requirements have been cropping up around the country. As of now, libraries are mostly exempt from these laws, but … Continue reading Patron Privacy in a Digital World
While major urban centers like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles have always drawn new immigrants, there are many pockets of new Americans now living in mid-size US cities due to job opportunities and proximity to families and former neighbors from their homes abroad. Some come to the US without significant digital literacy skills, and … Continue reading New Americans and the Digital Literacy Gap
Although Days 3 and 4 (Saturday and Sunday) of New York Comic-Con are designed for fans (Saturday normally features some star panels and screenings, and Sunday is the day for kids and families), I found interesting and engaging professional panels this weekend. This was a good thing, since getting into some of the star sessions—such … Continue reading New York Comic-Con Days 3 and 4: Of Censorship and (Digital) Content
Librarian hat off; fan hat on! The Friday of NYCC is the first official day of the “con,” which means a lot more people and a lot more panels. Today I indulged in more of the fan aspect of NYCC, but one presentation—a history of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund—caught the librarian eye. Intellectual … Continue reading New York Comic-Con Day 2: A Fight for Comic Book Rights
Before Google, before Amazon, before Netscape, IE, or Bing, before the New York Times ever printed the phrase World Wide Web, there was the Michigan eLibrary. Known as MeL for short, this pioneering statewide information network is celebrating its 20th anniversary in October. The milestone was marked by a gala event October 4 that gathered … Continue reading MeL Turns Twenty
Has your library ever thought about using technology and communitywide projects to connect with customers? It’s not easy to pull off, but if you’re successful, your library can make new friends and contacts and can provide useful knowledge or entertainment for the community along the way. Topeka, where David works, has done a number of … Continue reading Community Connections
The following is a summary of remarks ALA President Maureen Sullivan is delivering today at the Association of American Publishers Fall Meeting in New York City: We must build on the long-standing, successful partnership between publishers and libraries. Through our common goal of bringing authors and readers together, publishers and libraries have worked with each … Continue reading Libraries and Publishers Strengthening the E-Reading Ecosystem
The following open letter was released by ALA President Maureen Sullivan regarding the refusal of Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin to provide access to their ebooks in US libraries: It’s a rare thing in a free market when a customer is refused the ability to buy a company’s product and is told its money … Continue reading An Open Letter to America’s Publishers
In March, the National Information Standards Organization adopted RFID in US Libraries (RP-6-2012), establishing ISO 28560-2 as the recommended practices for coding data on the RFID tags used in libraries for shelving, circulation, sorting, inventory, security, and interlibrary loans. The final adoption of this data model is a big step toward standardization and interoperability among … Continue reading The RFID Opportunity
The Institute of Museum and Library Services and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation made $100,000 grants this past November to eight libraries and four museums to plan and design their own digital learning labs where teens can hang out, mess around, and geek out. In the process, these young patrons learn to … Continue reading Geek Out
Something needs to be done about maintaining access to e-content. You know things are really getting out of control when PBS starts signing distribution deals that all but name exclusive providers. Yes, the Public Broadcasting Service, partially funded with federal money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, has seemingly thrown schools and libraries under the … Continue reading Et tu, PBS?
