intellectual freedom Archives | Page 26 of 26

Why Johnny Can’t Search

by Joseph Janes | January 2, 2007

A couple of generations ago, a catchphrase entered the American lexicon, representing growing concern about the quality of education and in particular a perceived decline in literacy. “Why Johnny Can’t Read,” from the title of 1955 book by Rudolf Flesch, became a byword for the perception of relaxed standards and concomitantly lower achievement in schools. … Continue reading Why Johnny Can’t Search →

Latest Library Links

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Amy Drader writes: “Often, the first reaction to hearing feedback is to agree or disagree with it. Do neither. Instead, say thank you, even if it’s unfair or inaccurate. The majority of bosses are uncomfortable giving feedback, and they might be fearing your reaction. Saying thank you will help neutralize emotions for you both. You also demonstrate a willingness listen, which shows maturity and professionalism. It might sound like, ‘Thank you for bringing this to my attention.’”

Lifehacker, December 1
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Mark Frauenfelder writes: “Fritz Lang’s iconic 1927 silent film, Metropolis, is set to enter the public domain on January 1, 2023. This is great news for film fans around the world, who will now be able to freely access, view, and enjoy this beloved classic. With the film entering the public domain, Metropolis will now be available for filmmakers to use in creating their own projects.” Public domain has also made it possible for horror reimaginings of characters such as Bambi and Winnie the Pooh.

BoingBoing, November 28, 30
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Lila Bailey writes: “The Internet Archive is excited to announce the release of our report, “Securing Digital Rights for Libraries: Towards an Affirmative Policy Agenda for a Better Internet,” and the culmination of a months-long process consulting with leading experts from libraries, civil society, and academia regarding libraries’ role in shaping the next iteration of the internet. The Internet Archive did this work in collaboration with the Movement for a Better Internet. The key takeaway from this consultation process is simple: The rights that libraries have always enjoyed offline must also be protected online. ”

Internet Archive Blogs, December 1
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Ashley White writes: “Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has created an online tip line to report books found in libraries that residents think are inappropriate to stop the “taxpayer-subsided sexualization of children.” Landry, who is running for governor in 2023, announced the tip line in a Facebook post on Wednesday with few details. In the post, he said he met with residents in Slidell who “want to protect the children” in St. Tammany Parish.”

Lafayette Daily Advertiser, December 1; Facebook, November 29
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Leanne Ellis writes: “I still recall with a shudder the second school library I worked at in NYC: a small, cramped space that needed to be weeded, and worst of all, a collection organized by category like a bookstore. The problem wasn’t the intention of my predecessor; she arranged the books according to a system that made sense to her. But the result was the problem because it made sense only to her. And therein is the fault with genrifying our libraries on the shelves; a title one person might classify as a mystery might be considered romance to another.”

Knowledge Quest, November 29
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Ewa Wojciechowska writes: “For those looking to program with purpose, the entire process begins and ends with your community. Similarly to how we perform diversity audits on our collections, it’s important to also take a critical eye to the programs and services we offer. As professionals we understand that every community is different and has different needs, and that our offerings ought to be tailored to those needs. It can be easy to go on “auto-pilot” when it comes to programming, but we should remember to look at all programs from time to time to evaluate their effectiveness.”

ALSC Blog, December 3
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The American Library Association invites library workers to apply for the Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant, an annual award supporting innovative and meaningful community engagement efforts in libraries. Applications will be accepted between December 1, 2022, and February 1, 2023. View the full award guidelines and apply online at www.ala.org/LTCEG. The Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant recognizes, promotes and supports innovative and meaningful community engagement efforts in libraries. It will provide two grants of $2,000 for a school, public, academic, tribal or special library to expand its community engagement efforts.

ALA, December 1

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