Money Smart Week Archives | American Libraries Magazine

By the Numbers: Money Smart Week

By Alison Marcotte | March 1, 2019

1,000 Approximate number of libraries that participated in Money Smart Week activities in 2018. This year it will be observed March 30–April 6 and will include thousands of free programs and events across the country to help educate consumers on how to better manage their personal finances. 141,740 Number of people who attended Money Smart … Continue reading By the Numbers: Money Smart Week →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Money Talk

April 9, 2018

First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart talks with Lori Burgess, director of operations at Fond du Lac (Wis.) Public Library and the recipient of a 2012 Wisconsin Financial Literacy Award, about her library’s programs and why financial literacy education is important. Next, Morehart speaks with Heather McCue, a children’s librarian … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Money Talk →

Naomi Lederer, professor and college liaison librarian at Colorado State University (CSU) Libraries, shares CSU's Money Smart Week activities with Michael Dowling, director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Chapter Relations Office.

Teaching Patrons Dollars and Sense

By Terra Dankowski | February 12, 2018

“Why libraries? This is what we do,” said Michael Dowling, director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Chapter Relations Office. “We’re an objective space,” he said, noting that libraries offer the accessibility, confidentiality, safety, and educational resources conducive to promoting financial literacy. Dowling was joined by Naomi Lederer, professor and college liaison librarian at Colorado … Continue reading Teaching Patrons Dollars and Sense →

Between 1993–2012, average student debt rose from $9,450 to $29,400. Additionally, the number of seniors graduating with loans has increased from 47% to 71%.

In College, Time Is Money

By David L. Eisler and Scott Garrison | April 2, 2015

According to the Institute for College Access and Success, from 1993 to 2012, average student debt rose from $9,450 to $29,400. Additionally, the number of seniors graduating with loans has increased from 47% to 71%. Data for heads of households under 40 years of age shows that student debt results in higher levels of credit … Continue reading In College, Time Is Money →

Latest Library Links

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Jessie Kratz writes: “December 15 is Bill of Rights Day, which commemorates the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. For more information on events and resources at the National Archives, visit NARA’s Bill of Rights Day website. How much do you know about the Bill of Rights? We know a lot and have written quite a bit about it. Here are some facts about the Bill of Rights you might not know.”

Pieces of History, Dec. 13
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Christine Schmidt writes: “When the journalism organization Report for America announced that it was placing 250 journalists into 164 local newsrooms, the list of beats they’d be covering didn’t seem out of the ordinary. It served as a to-cover list for local news. Then there’s this one, from Charlotte, North Carolina, public radio station WFAE, the local Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, and the Digital Public Library of America: a ‘unique partnership using both radio and Wikipedia to fill news deserts.’ WFAE will house a journalist who will work with a Wikipedia researcher, with the assistance of DPLA, to find Charlotte-related news at the library.”

Nieman Lab, Dec. 12
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Jennifer Sturge writes: “If you have not heard about Wakelet, it’s time to learn. If you are like me, you are always finding amazing resources, articles, and ideas floating around cyberspace. Wakelet makes curation easy and allows you to organize what you want to save, share, and comment upon. You can bookmark anything—videos, articles, music, or podcasts—and create collections while adding images and notes to yourself or others. Not only can Wakelet be a powerful tool for your own professional learning network, but it can also be a great tool to use with students in the school library.”

Knowledge Quest blog, Dec. 13
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Tomas A. Lipinski writes: “Legal regulation of fake news in public spaces is difficult, if not impossible. As long as the speech is not defamatory, ‘the right to lie’ is constitutionally protected as free speech. Official filings are an exception: You cannot lie on your tax return, on a mortgage loan application, under oath, or otherwise on legal declarations subject to penalty of perjury. In theory, the proper response to false claims is more speech—that is, more open exchange in a free marketplace. Libraries can take a cue from this by offering programming and materials that help patrons discern truthful news from fake news.”

American Libraries column, Dec. 13
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Michael Lee writes: “Since opening in 2015, the Chinatown branch of the Chicago Public Library has become a hub for seniors in the community to socialize, play board games, and participate in other activities. Like other public libraries nationwide, it is adapting to the changing needs of their residents in addition to its traditional role as a resource for books, periodicals, and DVDs. Libraries nationwide are looking for ways to support seniors, but not because they are changing their roles, said Maria Bonn, director of the library and information science master’s program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.”

Medill Reports Chicago, Dec. 12
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Corin Balkovek writes: “Chances are, if you work in a library or have a bookish lifestyle and spend any time on social media, you’ve seen it: The Library Cake. With shelves packed to the brim, a table and chairs beset with reading materials and lamps, even miniature potted plants sitting outside the ‘front door,’ the intricate edible decorations take baked goods to the next level. But where did the Library Cake come from? Why was it created? ‘This cake was made for my daughter’s 21st birthday,’ wrote the Library Cake’s creator, Kathy Klaus, in our communications.”

Book Riot, Dec. 13
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James C. Zimring writes: “Science seems under assault. Attacks come from many directions, ranging from the political realm to groups and individuals masquerading as scientific entities. There is even a real risk that scientific fact will eventually be reduced to just another opinion, even when those facts describe natural phenomena—the very purpose for which science was developed. Hastening this erosion are hyperbolic claims of ‘truth’ that science is often perceived to make and that practicing researchers may themselves project, whether intentionally or not.”

The Scientist, Dec. 1

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