Librarian's Library: Karen Muller

Information Access for All

June 1, 2018

Let’s start with Revised Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 2017, from the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Developed by the Library of Congress and ASCLA, these supersede the 2011 standards. … Continue reading Information Access for All


Top Tech Trends: Advice for Makerspaces

June 25, 2017

“Makerspaces should meet the needs of your patrons and be built around your budget and staff,” shared Radniecki.  Here are some other helpful tips she shared regarding managing makerspaces: Fees are fine. Some libraries cannot comprehend a makerspace model that charges anything, even if they are offering services that commercial services like Shapeways offer at … Continue reading Top Tech Trends: Advice for Makerspaces


ALA Annual Chicago Conference and Exhibition

LITA Offers Camp for Women in Library Technology

June 24, 2017

A multi-racial, multi-lingual group of nearly 40 women gathered on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, for a day of discussion around the roles and challenges of women in library technology. Out of respect for the privacy of the attendees, individual names and other specifics will not be shared.  The intent was to create a genuine safe … Continue reading LITA Offers Camp for Women in Library Technology


From left: Joelle Pitts, Camille Chesley, Jami Schwarzwalder, Kelly Sattler, and Jeff Lacy

Gamification for Teens and College Students

June 27, 2016

The panel included: moderator Breanne Kirsch, public services librarian at the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg; Joelle Pitts, instructional design librarian at Kansas State University Library in Manhattan, Kansas; Camille Chesley, reference and instruction librarian at the University of Montevallo in Alabama; Jami Schwarzwalder, teen librarian at South Hill Pierce County (Wash.) Library; … Continue reading Gamification for Teens and College Students


Evviva Weinraub, Michelle Frisque, Jenn Riley, Karen Estlund, Monique Sendze, Brandy McNeil

Question the Status Quo: Challenges for Women in Technology Leadership

June 26, 2016

Evviva Weinraub of Northwestern University Library in Evanston, Illinois; Michelle Frisque of Chicago Public Library; Jenn Riley of McGill University Library in Montreal, Karen Estlund of Penn State University Library, Monique Sendze of Tulsa City-County Library, and Brandy McNeil of New York Public Library led a LITA panel on Sunday to discuss the challenges of being a woman in technology leadership.


A Tale of Two Cities opening slide

Closing the Gap

June 28, 2015

The session, sponsored by the Library Information and Technology Association, offered two examples of public libraries that are experimenting with lending Wi-Fi hotspots to users in high-need communities in an effort to close the broadband adoption gap. Swarthout began the session by explaining how NYPL came to be a lender of Wi-Fi hotspots. He cited … Continue reading Closing the Gap


Top Tech Trends logo

Library Leaders Talk Tech

February 2, 2015

Marshall Breeding, an independent consultant and editor of Library Technology Guides and the Smart Libraries Newsletter, Carli Spina, emerging technologies and research librarian at the Harvard Law School Library, Willie Miller, librarian for informatics and journalism at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Casey McCoy, program coordinator at Lincolnwood (Ill.) Public Library District, and Todd Carpenter, director … Continue reading Library Leaders Talk Tech


Top Tech Trends 2014

January 26, 2014

“We are in the business of making resources available, and we shouldn’t forget that,” said Emily Gore, director for content of the Digital Public Library of America. Gore was one of five panelists speaking to an estimated 200 attendees at LITA’s popular event reporting on changes and advances in technology. Each panelist and the moderator … Continue reading Top Tech Trends 2014