International Archives | Page 7 of 18 | American Libraries Magazine

How the Marrakesh Treaty Opens Vistas for Print-Disabled Readers

By Jonathan Band | September 10, 2013

As the first treaty devoted to copyright exceptions, the June 28, 2013, agreement represents a significant development in international copyright law. (The 1886 Berne Convention contains exceptions for quotations, illustration in teaching, and news reporting.) ALA worked closely with the US delegation throughout the negotiating process. Through the Library Copyright Alliance, ALA’s views were represented … Continue reading How the Marrakesh Treaty Opens Vistas for Print-Disabled Readers →

IFLA Closes Singapore Conference Looking to the Future

By Leonard Kniffel, with photos by Carlon Walker | August 23, 2013

The closing session of the 79th World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) August 22 offered the 3,750 attendees from 120 countries a recap of 224 sessions held over six days in Singapore. Along with thanks to the local organizers and volunteers for making the conference … Continue reading IFLA Closes Singapore Conference Looking to the Future →

Geo-Strategist Parag Khanna Ushers IFLA into the “Hybrid Age”

By Leonard Kniffel, with photos by Carlon Walker | August 22, 2013

Geo-strategist Parag Khanna, bestselling author of How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance, asserted that the great ages of mankind are the Stone Age, the Agrarian Age, the Industrial Age, and the Information Age; but now, he said, we are entering the “Hybrid Age,” a time when technology is erasing … Continue reading Geo-Strategist Parag Khanna Ushers IFLA into the “Hybrid Age” →

At IFLA 2013, Singapore Journalist Cherian George Delivers Scathing Indictment of Mass Media

By Leonard Kniffel, with photos by Carlon Walker | August 21, 2013

“What is the fate of the public in an age of individual choice?” That’s the central question posed by Cherian George, journalist and professor at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. George’s speech launched the fourth day of IFLA’s 79th World Library and Information Congress. George … Continue reading At IFLA 2013, Singapore Journalist Cherian George Delivers Scathing Indictment of Mass Media →

New Report Portends Global Societal Trends, as IFLA Continues in Singapore

By Leonard Kniffel, with photos by Carlon Walker | August 21, 2013

It’s designed to assess “the impact of new technology on our global information environment,” said IFLA President Ingrid Parent, introducing the new IFLA Trend Report August 19 during the World Library and Information Congress in Singapore. Commissioned in 2012 and involving social scientists, economists, business leaders, educators, legal experts, and technologists, Riding the Waves or Caught … Continue reading New Report Portends Global Societal Trends, as IFLA Continues in Singapore →

IFLA Opener Showcases Singapore’s Asian Multiculturalism

By Leonard Kniffel, with photos by Carlon Walker | August 20, 2013

The 79th World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), whose theme is “Future Libraries: Infinite Possibilities,” began with a bang August 18 in Singapore. Beating drums and a long, colorfully lit dragon welcomed some 3,500 delegates from around the world with the music and dance of … Continue reading IFLA Opener Showcases Singapore’s Asian Multiculturalism →

American Caucus Strategizes as IFLA Prepares to Open in Singapore

By Leonard Kniffel, with photos by Carlon Walker | August 19, 2013

Some 200 US delegates to the August 17–23 IFLA annual conference in Singapore caucused August 16 at the Suntec convention center to identify top programs and developments in international librarianship. Speakers named a forthcoming trends study, a new online library, conference programs designed to engage new professionals in international librarianship, and the election of an … Continue reading American Caucus Strategizes as IFLA Prepares to Open in Singapore →

Disaster Relief … with Books

By Leonard Kniffel | July 16, 2013

The activists behind Libraries Without Borders (Bibliothèques Sans Frontières) understand that priority must be given to food, water, shelter, and medicine. They also recognize that little attention is paid to another basic human necessity: the knowledge resources needed to cope with catastrophe. Founded in Paris in 2007, Libraries Without Borders (LWB) provides targeted books and … Continue reading Disaster Relief … with Books →

ALA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

By Mariam Pera | April 16, 2013

On April 16, ALA staff members gathered for a reading of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” as part of a worldwide celebration marking its 50th anniversary. ALA was one of 207 sites around the world where King’s letter was being read aloud today. Although part of a larger, international … Continue reading ALA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” →

International Libraries Confronted by Ebook Library Lending

By Alan S. Inouye | April 4, 2013

ALA Immediate Past President Molly Raphael had the opportunity to visit China last fall to speak to the library community there about some of the struggles that many American libraries face as they try to provide ebooks and digital content to the public. Her speaking tour included stops in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Dongguan, … Continue reading International Libraries Confronted by Ebook Library Lending →

In Central America, Community-Minded Libraries Become Community Funded

By Carol A. Erickson | February 27, 2013

The homicide rate in Honduras is among the highest in the world. Decades of corruption have gnawed through government and police forces from top to bottom. Trafficking of cocaine and drugs—destined north to Mexico and the United States—is rampant, as is underemployment throughout the country. And as in any culture, Honduran children are especially susceptible … Continue reading In Central America, Community-Minded Libraries Become Community Funded →

Romania’s New National Library Remains a Dream Yet to Come True

By Hermina Anghelescu and Leonard Kniffel | January 28, 2013

Visible from nearly half a mile away, an enormous rooftop Samsung banner leads the casual observer to suppose that the imposing new building in Bucharest is the Romanian headquarters for the electronics giant. Not so. A small plaque near one of the massive entrance doors says that this is the National Library of Romania. The … Continue reading Romania’s New National Library Remains a Dream Yet to Come True →

Latest Library Links

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Angela Hursh writes: “Libraries have great stories to tell. But getting the media to listen isn’t always easy. Here are the top 10 practical tips that Leslie Marinelli, communications manager at Forsyth County (Ga.) Public Library; Ray Holley, communications manager at Sonoma County (Calif.) Library; and I shared [at a recent online panel] for getting your library into the news.”

Super Library Marketing, June 30
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Pranay Parab writes: “I’ve mostly been really happy with my M1 MacBook Air, which I’ve been using for nearly three years now. However, I regret not going for the variant with 16GB of RAM. The newer laptop still occasionally slows down when I open too many browser tabs. Luckily, I did some troubleshooting and fixed the problem, and I’m here to share what I’ve learned with you. So, if Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari or other browsers are slowing down on your computer, try some of these tips to nip that problem in the bud.”

Lifehacker, June 26
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Victoria Cox writes: “LaRue County (Ky.) Board of Education heard both criticism and praise last week when members were asked to remove 14 books from the high school library. Although the vote was split, the board ultimately refused to ban the books, citing the need to uphold the constitutional rights of students” by a 4–1 vote. Books the board considered include The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood; Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi; Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas, and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

LaRue County (Ky.) Herald News, June 25
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Jennifer A. Keach, Jenne M. Klotz, and Galen J. Talis write: “Library leaders at all levels are well-placed to create opportunities for joy in their organizations and to model how to do so with nuance and balance. Toward that end, we explored the multidisciplinary literature and compiled an annotated bibliography for leaders who wish to support joy within groups, organizational change agents who want to create equitable conditions for joy in the workplace, and readers seeking to develop their personal practice of joy. We provide a guide exploring five themes: defining joy, finding individual joy, work and organizational joy, empowering change with joy, and joy-adjacent emotions.”

Library Leadership and Management, June 30
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David Vickers Loertscher and Michelle Young write: “This tutorial introduces school librarians to the use of data visualization tools for documenting and communicating their impact on teaching and learning. By leveraging accessible platforms like Google Forms and Google Sheets, the authors demonstrate how librarians can build dashboards and real-time visual reports to showcase co-teaching, instructional collaboration, and student engagement. The tutorial features real-world examples, highlights common data sources already available to librarians, and argues that dynamic visual storytelling is a powerful alternative to traditional library statistics.”

Learning Hub, June 25
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Robin Camille Davis writes: “It wasn’t until seven years into my career as a user experience librarian that I realized I’d been accidentally excluding a sizable segment of users from my user research. Interviews, surveys, and usability studies favor people who are gifted at oral and written communication. What about people who are more gifted at visual communication? In the context of user research, this participatory design invites participants to design their own response to a given prompt.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, June 30
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Stories from communities nationwide come to life on ALA’s new Show Up for Our Libraries interactive site map. The stories illustrate the real-life consequences of potential funding cuts to rural, research, city, state, and university library programs and, in turn, to the hundreds of millions of library users across the country. Services such as summer reading programs, telehealth resources, interlibrary loan, and ebooks have all been affected. ALA collected the stories in conversation with patrons, library professionals, and advocates across the country to better understand the impact of federal funding cuts since the President’s executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, June 25

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